Persona 5: A Female's View
by The GGGina
Summary: Using the majority of Persona 5's plot, Akira Kursuru is now written as a female. How will the Phantom Thieves of Heart go on the with a female leader at their side? *Spoilers for P5 plotline. Small changes and may not be exactly the same as the game. Akira x Ryuji. Rated M for possibly smut later on.*
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! I've been interested in the Persona series for a while now, Persona 3 being my first. I played as a female protagonist and was surprised that P4 and now P5 had no option to choose gender. The Atlus game is already great as it, but choosing gender opens so many perspectives and different interesting paths. Seeing a fanart of a possible female protagonist sparked my inner passion and I just had to write.Please note that some things may be changed from the original storyline due to the gender change.There may be more sexual themes due to the protagonist being female. The protagonist will be more talkative as well and be in her perspective. The name will remain Akira Kursuru. I plan on shipping Akira with Ryuji.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 5, it is owned by the Atlus.**

Helicopters flew in the sky, drawing closer to a ritzy casino. Inside, it was the picture of chaos. Sparkling and glowing signs and games flashed with light. People were looking around nervously, murmuring to themselves or others around them. Some began to run away. They all feared the worse. A bomb? A terrorist attack? Who knew?

A black shadow danced unnoticed between the lights.

Men in black filed into the room.

"Spread out and secure the target." One ordered.

They walked around, searching for anything- or anyone- that could lead them to their target.

A woman jumped onto a chandelier, revealing herself to the crowd. As quickly as she appeared a man called out, pointing to her.

"L-Look up there!"

His call turned all attention to said woman. Clad in a black trench coat with a qipao dress underneath, the top being a gray collared shirt and the bottom a black skirt, exposing her white trousers and black cuban heeled boots that reached above her knees. A pair of red gloves hid her hands and her long unruly black hair flew in the wind. Her mask finished her look. A white bird-shaped mask with a black design around the eyes. A silver briefcase was secured in her hand.

Once she had revealed her to the crowd, the men in black began to deploy.

"Target has been found. Moving in to capture." One instructs.

With a smirk, she jumped off and got ready to escape.

As she began to jump across the ceiling lights, boyish voice spoke to her, telling her to get going.

"This is our only chance!" Another male said.

"Stay calm! You can get away now!" A girl added.

"We'll retrieve the briefcase on our end." Another girl said.

A static filled radio transmission filled her ears.

"em...suspects...not...confirmed...Hold... your...positions..."

"...Hm? ...What was that?" The girl thought aloud.

"Don't worry about us! Just concentrate on getting away." A boy yelled.

The masked woman ran over an illuminated sign, giggling to herself as her teammates complimented her and joked around with each other. Hopping over the ridiculous architecture of the casino was simple enough and proved to be fruitful. Unfortunately, the men in black managed to catch up to her. Two stood in her way. Their bodies shook violently before collapsing on themselves into black, buff shadows. A huge one jumped behind her. As she turned to face it, a smirk formed on her lips.

"Take 'em down Joker!"

With a nod, she flipped into the air, landing on the broad hulking shoulders of the shadow. She pulled off it's masking before jumping off again.

Said shadow began imploding until it burst into black and red, exposing a Sacrificial Pyrekeeper. Using her Persona, she douses the shadow with Eigaon. Darkness engulfs the shadow but it's still able to survive. It retaliates by attacking her with a strong fire attack.

"Ugh!"

The flames burned, but it wasn't too bad. Summoning her Persona again, she commanded it to use Brave Bird. The physical attack knocks it down, leaving it with little to none health.

 _Time to finish this!_

She sprints up to him, slashing it once, then twice, with her knives. Pulling out a handgun, she shot the shadow down, turning it into disintegrated ash.

A voice praised her, then another warned her of more coming. As soon as she received the warning, three more shadows appeared before her. One lunged at her, crowbar in hand. It swung at her.

 _Too slow._

She back flipped away from it, jumping onto another balcony. She jumped away, landing safely.

"Joker, behind you! Go through that door!" The girl said.

Following her instructions, she ran through the door and up the stairs. Behind the door was a dark room, gating off pipes.

"You should be able to get out that way. Hurry!" She warned.

"Dude, can she even hear us?" A male replied.

"Don't worry, I'm picking up everyone's voices. Just go, Joker!"

Joker continued running down the dark back halls of the casino, pushing through doors and entering various rooms.

As she entered a windowed room, she watched a man in black run by, cursing as he vainly searched for them. She dived into the shadows, narrowly avoiding a passing man in black. Once he left, she bolted up nearby stairs. At the top, she watched them through the window.

They were frantically searching, watching security cameras and calling agents to move and keep looking.

She continued heading up stairs. The agents weren't far behind though. At the end of the hall, there was a single door. With no choice, Joker ran through, only to be faced with the entire bottom floor casino.

"What's wrong? The exit should be right in front of you."

Glancing ahead, she noticed the large stain glass window. There were no other doors nearby.

 _Surely she's not implying-_

"The entire bottom floor is completely closed off." A girl explained.

She sighed but understood. Observing the room, she predicted she could vault herself through the glass off the railings around the room.

"H-Hey, can you make it?" Another girl voice worried./p

Before she could answer, the men in black barged into the door she entered from. Walking in, they raised their guns at her.

"Don't move! There's no where to run!"

She smirked and gave them a quick salute. Quickly, she jumped onto the railing and ran as fast as she could towards the window. Taking a deep breath, she launched herself through the window. Soaring through the open air, the glass shone and shimmered around her body as both fell towards the ground.

"Man, what a show off..."

She rolled and ended up crouching on the ground. The stained glass rained around her. Standing, she dusted glass particles of herself. Instantly, she was blinded by white light.

She was surrounded.

Thousands of armed police officers had the area closed off. A number of alarms went off in her head, along with her teammates cries for her to get out of there.

 _This is bad._

She ran. That's all she could do.

"ARREST HER!"

The giant group of police followed her much to her dismay. Thinking the worst, she scanned the area for any form of escape. Luckily, a fire escape ladder was ahead of her. She grinned victoriously, climbing up and away from the ones on the ground.

However, said feeling was short lived.

At the top of ladder, there was a large group of officers already there. One rammed her in the face with the back of his gun. With a gasp followed by a scream, Joker fell back into the crowd. As quickly as she fell,she was pulled into the sea of over-armored officers and held down.

A smug officer walked up to her side.

"Huh? Didn't think it was a kid doing all this."

He laughed and squatted beside her. He grabbed her hair, painfully pulling her up a little.

"You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out."

Her eyes widened.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

"Guess the drug was too strong."

The man walked around the unconscious girl.

"Wake her up."

 ** _SPLASH!_**

Her eyes hesitantly opened, water dripping down her face. She shook her head. The room was hazy at first, but her vision began to clear. She was in a dark room with two men.

"No dozing off."

She went to raise her hand, but it wouldn't budge. She tried shaking free from her shackles vehemently.

"You still don't get it, do you?" The man asked.

She ignored him and kept struggling.

"Give it up!"

His foot came in contact with her stomach. A strangled scream escaped from her mouth before she began coughing violently. She laid there, writhing in pain on the floor. He stepped on her head, grinding her cheeks into the ground with his heel.

Something red flashed in the background.

 _A security camera?_

The man noticed her stare and sneered at her. He removed his foot and pulled her up by her braid.

"What? You think it can be used as evidence?"

"Of course not..."

"You're smarter than you look kid."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he released her hair and gave her a swift kick into the stomach again. Akira coughed and wheezed violently.

As she struggled to regain her breath, the man stepped away from her.

"Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons... manslaughter too. You've got the works." He listed.

He looked up from a clipboard and focused his intense gaze on her.

"To think all these crimes were led by a bitch like this. You seemed as if you enjoyed every second of it huh?"

His words startled Akira. Unconsciously, tears slipped from her eyes.

 _Was I... Did I enjoy it?_

 _Everything's so hazy..._

 _..I can't remember._

When she didn't respond, the man only replied with a head shake.

"You should know your place."

With a subtle nod, the agent in the corner approached Akira. He squatted down and removed her handcuffs. Once off, he shoved her against the ground mercilessly. She painfully pushed herself off the ground, gently massaging the bruises now evident on her wrists. Not even giving her a moment to compose herself, the agent held a clipboard out to her, demanding her to sign it. It was a confession. She frowned at him, slapping it away. He narrowed his eyes at her act of defiance.

"I see..." He said as he rose.

"I need your hand to sign it but..."

He suddenly pinned her hands to the ground, above her head. His other hand wandered up her leg, closer to her skirt.

"I don't care what you lose until you do!" He said with a sadistic grin.

She squirmed and struggled against him, but it was to no avail. She was no match for his strength.

"For a brat, you have quite the package."

She cringed and continued to thrash about pathetically. His hand brushed the waistband of her panties before pausing. As he pulled away, a feeling of disgust was left clinging to her body. The clipboard was pushed back at her. With shaky hand, she relented and took the board. A silver pen was held out towards her. Taking it, she signed the paper.

 _Akira Kurusu_

She handed it back to him.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira wasn't sure what was happening outside her room. She could faintly hear voices, but it could just be in her head. She was too busy debating with her mind when Sae Nijima sat across from.

"Hey, can you hear me? It seems you've been through a lot."

All she could do is nod. She hadn't been able to see a mirror but she knew she was covered in bruises and a cold sweat. Sae thought the same thing. The poor girl couldn't stop shaking and was frightfully pale.

"Almost anything to happen here and I can't stop them."

Akira stared down at the table.

"That's why I need you to answer truthfully. I don't have much time either."

Sae went on explaining herself and asking questions towards Akira, who still wasn't responding.

"It was because I couldn't figure out a method."

"Of course you couldn't." Akira said.

"True."

Sae then went on, bombarding her with more questions, discussing her disbelief towards the files and the supposed "other world". She crossed her arms and sat back, giving Akira an intense and serious gaze.

"Now tell me your account of everything."

Akira held her hand to her head and closed her eyes./p

"Start from the very beginning."

Reopening her eyes, a blue butterfly flutters past her slowly. The room seemed to be growing dark.

"You are held captive." A mysterious voice says calmly.

"A prisoner of a fate to a future that has been sealed in advance."

"This truly is an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you."

"... I beg of you... Please overcome this game... And save the world."

The butterfly flew on gracefully.

"The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds- the truth that you and your friends grasped."

The voice paused.

"It all began that day...when the game started half a year ago. For the shake of your world's future...as well as your own...you must remember..."

The blue butterfly had continued it's journey. And everything went white.

Akira jolted up. As soon as she realized where she was, a frown took over her face. She was on the train, wearing her new school's uniform: A buttoned up black blazer with red buttons and the school's emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt that has a tiny black bow on the collar, a black and red plaid skirt, and black stockings.

 _I don't want to be here._

The news was blaring out of the TV, but she only turned away. As the car cruised down the railing, a tunnel light flashed her face, just like that night.

 _A woman screaming and pushing a man away._

 _A man forcing himself on her._

 _Akira's rage flared within her. She strode up to the man and whirled him around._

 _He stumbled awkward and clumsily, ultimately crashing to the ground. The woman gasped and Akira could only gape at her hands in shock as the man struggled up. His hand was held tightly against his face, and his eyes burned with rage._

 _"Damn brat, I'll sue!"_

 _Static..._

 _The police grabbed her arms and began pulling her to their flashing car._

Akira looked down at the memory. There were so many conversations happening around her. Two girls standing by a window loudly gossiped about mental breakdowns.

 _I don't want to be here._

The walk from the station was much more pleasant for Akira. There was still an influx of people but she wasn't confined to a small space anymore. She pulled out her phone, looking to see if she had any new messages.

No new messages.

 _What a surprise._

Turning on her GPS she set off to find her home. As the app start up, a strange image appeared at the bottom.

"What's this?"

A red box with a distorted black eye enlarged on her screen, much to her annoyance. She furiously poked the screen, looking for any way to close it. The crowds circled around her. Loud voices echoed around her, then suddenly slowed. Looking up, Akira almost dropped her phone in surprise. Everything and everyone slowed to a standstill. Gazing around wildly, a large blue flame captured her attention. It swirled in the wind, forming something.

It bursts to life, illuminating in her glasses. Orange fire sparked to life, creating a smirking face. The fire pushes back, revealing an amber eyed Akira.

She blinked as light flashed her. Once her vision refocused, the city was in motion again. Conversations continued as if nothing happened.

 _I'm going insane._

Akira laughed bitterly at herself before looking back at her phone. The weird app was still there. She promptly deleted it and continued on her way. After another train ride and some walking she reached the Sakura household. She dusted off her skirt and checked her hair to make sure she looked presentable. Taking in a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.

No answer.

Akira rang once more.

No answer.

"I guess he's not home..."

"Oh! He's not home. I guess I have to deliver this over to his cafe, Leblanc."

Akira looked at the loud delivery man. He really shouldn't announce stuff like that out loud, but now she could find this Sakura person. Traveling through the the back alleys, she reached Leblanc in no time. Pushing open the door with shaky hands, she entered the small cafe.

A man with black hair, accompanied with a twisted black beard was lounging on a chair, reading a newspaper. It took him a few moments to realize she was standing there. He sighed as he stood, tossing his paper aside. The TV droned on about the subway accidents. The elderly couple in the shop seemed upset by it, but the man acted as if he didn't hear it.

"...Oh right. They did say that was today."

Akira noted his tone. Didn't sound like she'd be welcomed here with open arms.

 _Well who would be?_

The elderly couple stood to go on their way. Akira went and held the door open for them.

"What a well mannered girl! Thank you."

Their compliment made her smile. It had been a while since anyone had said anything remotely nice to her. Unknown to her, Sojiro was watching her. Her actions made him quite curious, but when she refocused on him, he acted indifferent.

"Akira Kursuru, right?"

When she nodded, he continued on.

"I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody for the next year."

He observed her from bottom to top.

"I wondered what unruly kid would turn up, but you're the one, huh?"

He began explaining how he ended up taking care of her, all because he knew a customer that knew her parents.

 _So basically, they stuck me with some stranger._

Her parents were always like this, so it didn't necessarily surprise her.

"Well, not that it matters. Come on, follow me."

Sojiro led her up some stairs into some kind of attic. It was beyond cluttered and everything was in disarray. Within her mind, she pleaded for any God to promise her this wasn't her room.

"This is your room."

 _Oh course it is._

She really had no room to complain, and Akira knew it. Her parents didn't want anything to do with a rotten kid, the least she could do is be thankful someone had at least given her some form of space to take shelter in. Albeit not tons of space, but space was there.

"I'll at least give you sheets for your bed."

"Thank you. I'll clean up the clutter."

He was taken aback, but shrugged indifferently.

"I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause trouble."

She nodded. It was to be expected after all. He ran a business and last thing he needed was some delinquent screwing things over for him. She never planned on starting anything remotely related to trouble, but he drew his lines fast.

"Now then...I got the gist of your situation."

Akira cringed. She didn't want to hear the police version of her story again. Her mother and father constantly repeated it over and over once she had been taken in by the police that night. Her "alleged" claim had no proof as the asshole who cause it went free. Unfortunately, she'd have to sit through another retelling.

Again.

"You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you, right?"

She quickly nodded happily.

 _Finally! Someone's on my side!_

"That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults."

 _So much for on my side!_

"You did injure him, yeah?"

She had no choice but to agree. Him getting hurt had been because she forced him to move. There was no denying it.

He continued to detail her terrible plight, including her school expelling her for her criminal record and her parents agreeing with the court to ship her out to some remote place.

"In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass."

She frowned at him.

 _Just keep rubbing in all the salt._

Sojiro continued on about her not doing anything that could hurt his cafe, to which she solemnly swore she would not, her probation, and several other warnings not to get into trouble. She slowly began tuning him out, but flickered back just in time to hear him say they were going to head to Shujin Academy tomorrow to register and introduce herself. Looks as if she'll meet more people who will judge her before actually meeting her. She sighed but nodded. He then went back downstairs to tend to his cafe. Now that she was alone, she went through he luggage and began unpacking. Taking a look around, she decided to change and get a start on cleaning. Ditching her uniform, she changed into a white shirt with a dark brown jacket over a jean skirt and black leggings. She clipped on some overall straps and went about cleaning.

Starting with the windows, she dusted down the glass until the sunlight could stream through. The floor was next. As soon as she got a bucket of water, she busied herself with mopping up aging wooden floor. She slid the box of her belongings into the nearby shelf, then went off to make her bed with the sheets Sojiro provided her with. She then continued tidying up the room. By the time she was done, it was already evening.

"What the heck? I heard all sorts of noise but I didn't think you'd actually be cleaning."

"Well, I don't want to live in a dirty room."

"Fair enough. Why don't you head to bed? I'm closing up for tonight and heading home."

"Alright."

She listened as he descended down the stairs and then out the door. She didn't have anything better to do so she might as well hit the sack like he suggested. Once she changed into her pajamas, she laid down on her bed. Despite being in bed, her thoughts were still wide awake.

 _Arrest..._

 _Trial..._

 _Criminal record..._

 _"Damn brat! I'll sue!"_

The memories were still fresh within her mind. His yells. The woman's screams. The sirens. The grip on her arms.

 _Still... There was no way I could just let that go._

The memory just kept replaying in her mind. Her exact actions constantly repeated in an eternal time loop. Frustration clouded her arms, but closed them in an attempt to calm herself down. They reopened once she heard the beeping of her phone. Pulling it off the charger, she unlocked it.

The strange app had returned.

 _I thought I had deleted it..._

Once again, she dragged the icon to the trash.

Placing it back, she could feel sleep slowly attracting her. Turning off the light, she laid back in bed, falling into a deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for the positive feedback, it means a lot. I also got some good criticism-which is great too. I'm not going to call out the two specific ones but I owe you two a huge thanks (you know who you are) and to be patient. It was only chapter 1, I can only gain EXP from here. The story will diverge later on, you'll see. Let's start!**

Akira sat on her bed, tying her braids one last time.

This was her fifth attempt to do them correctly. She was having a hard time keeping her mind focused.

"That dream..."

 _Clink clack._ _Clink clack._

 _She groaned as she opened her eyes. They instantly widened as she quickly sat up. This wasn't Sojiro's attic. It was too dark and he DEFINITELY didn't give her a cot to sleep on._

 _This was just too weird._

 _The shackles around her wrists and ankles clanked noisily as she attempted to get off the bed._

 _As she fumbled about, footsteps drew closer to her. Two girls-twins probably- with bleached white hair and yellow eyes. They were dressed strangely, as if they were prison wardens?_

 _This really is too weird._

 _Nonetheless, Akira stalked towards them. Approaching the metal bars, she noticed it wasn't just herself and the twins._

 _The was a man with an absurdly long nose, grinning creepily at her, sitting down at a desk._

 _"Welcome to my Velvet Room Trickster."_

 _Trickster?_

"Hey! You dressed up there?"

Akira blinked and quickly finished her hair.

"Y-yes!"

She stood up and greeted him as he came up. She struggled to hold in a giggle at the sight of his fedora.

"Ok we're going to Shujin. I'll drive you for today only. You'll take the train starting tomorrow."

She nodded and followed him out of Leblanc and into his car. He drove down the busy streets, eventually stopping around Shujin Academy. It wasn't anything special to her, just your typical school.

"Hey! Don't be so distracted, the principal is waiting for us."

"Coming."

Akira quickly followed after him to an office. A secretary led them to another room then left us there to be called in.

Even the inside of the academy was the same. City schools look almost the same as country side schools-minus the subways.

"Come in."

Sojiro opened the door for her, revealing a very portly man with no neck in a tight tan suit. Besides him was a young woman with black unruly hair and a tired expression on her face.

 _Looks like she had no choice to be here_ _either._

"I am the principal of Shujin Academy. You may call me Principal Kobayakawa. This is your homeroom teacher."

"I'm Sadayo Kawakami. I'll be your homeroom teacher. Here's your student I.D."

She slid it across the table. As Akira took it, she noted she wasn't acting as if she was a nuisance. Or at least not yet.

"By the way, I can't protect you if you choose to do anything inappropriate. That is your promise, right Principal

Kobayakawa?"

 _There it is._

The two begin to talk, Ms. Kawakami obviously complaining why she of all people had to get such a bad student. Akira frowned, as did Sojiro. It seemed even teachers wouldn't give her the time of day. They warned her what would happen if she stepped out of line. To top it off, getting expelled from here practically guaranteed no other school would accept her. Sojiro glanced at Akira then the principal.

"Are we done here? I have a restaurant to take care of." He said impatiently.

"Of course. Sakura-san please watch over her." Principal Kobayakawa said seriously.

He nodded and walked out of the room, quickly followed by Akira. As soon as they escaped from the school, Sojiro heaved out a large sigh.

"They were treating you like a damn nuisance."

"Yeah. I'm pretty used to it by now." She said dejectedly.

"Seems like your record followed you all the way out here. Wouldn't surprise me if rumors started flying around." He muttered.

His words rang true. Her teachers would undoubtedly know of her criminal record, and students always find out the newest gossip somehow.

"Come on, let's go back."

She nodded and followed him to the car. They drove in silence for sometime, but got stuck in traffic eventually.

"Do you think you can handle school life?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

Sojiro nods and focuses back to driving, honking his horn at the stagnant cars surrounding them. He continued complaining, but it was the city. What else could you expect? She closed her eyes and rested her head against the car window. Her mind drifted back towards the Velvet Room.

 _Her hands shook the cell bars violently but they didn't budge._

 _"So you've come to, Inmate." One of the twins sneered._

 _"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are experiencing this as a dream." The other twin said calmly._

 _Experiencing as a dream? So is this a real place or something?_

 _The angry one glared her down._

 _"You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!"_

 _Akira quickly straightened herself. She never knew children could be so frightening. It seemed their master was the strange man in the center of the room._

 _"Welcome. I am delighted to make your aquaintance."_

 _A chill ran down her spine._

 _'Perhaps if he didn't look so creepy that welcome would be more reassuring.'_

 _"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room only those who are bound by a contract may enter."_

 _Contract?_

 _"I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well. I summoned you here to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."_

 _Akira groaned inwardly. What else in her life could go terrible wrong? This was beginning to be annoying._

 _"Just let me out." She said, banging angrily on the bars._

 _The angry twin quickly slammed her nightstick against the bars, barely missing Akira's fingers. Luckily, she had backed away in time._

 _"Know your place inmate! Who do you think you're talking to!?"_

 _She made a mental note to not lash out at Igor-else this small girl may chop off her limbs._

 _Igor droned on, saying things that she could barely fathom but such topics were related to her being a prisoner of fate. As if she didn't have a clue about that yet. It was when he spoke of ruin did she truly understand._

 _"Why is this happening to me?" She said in exasperation._

 _"I speak of the end to everything. However, there is a mean to oppose such a fate. You must be rehabilitated. Rehabilitated toward freedom..."_

 _Igor paused momentarily._

 _"That is your only means to avoid ruin... Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"_

 _She blinked at him before nodding. If anything, she wanted to avoid ruin. Igor rested his chin on his hands._

 _"Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."_

 _The twins nodded at each other and stepped out of their stationary positions, standing before Akira. They seemed to be waiting for something._

 _"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."_

 _Caroline sneered at her once more._

 _"Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." She snapped._

 _"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators." Justine added._

 _At least Justine seems civil..._

 _"...That is, if you remain obedient."_

 _Of course she isn't._

 _"I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion." Igor said, cutting in._

 _It seemed her time in the strange Velvet Room was waning. Igor bid her farewell, guaranteeing they would meet once more._

"Hey, wake up."

Sojiro gentle shook Akira until her eyes sleepily opened. It seemed they were back at Leblanc. The traffic jam must've been hectic; it was already evening.

"What a waste of time... I couldn't even open the shop." Sojiro complained.

Akira couldn't help but agree. All that really happened was the principal threatening her with expulsion. This day was just exhausting for her.

"I'm going to head to bed." Akira said, heading up the stairs.

"Hold on. Here."

Sojiro placed a brown notebook in her hand.

"Your probation officers want you to keep a log of your activity here."

"Ok I will. Goodnight."

Akira promotly went up the stairs, Sojiro's eyes following her.

"Poor kid..." He muttered before leaving.

Akira sighed as she sat on her bed. She really wasn't looking forward to school tomorrow. Especially if the rumors about her got around. Her phone buzzed and she frowned as she pulled it out.

 _'That strange app? What is happening?'_

She lacked the energy to deal with it today, so she just shut it off and plugged it in-crawling into bed as well. She drifted into slumber relatively fast and was saddened when she woke. Her first day as a Shijin Academy student would most definitely be memorable. Dragging herself out of bed, she went on to shower and dress. Once done, she grabbed her bag and descended into Leblanc cafe.

"Good morning." She said once she saw Sojiro.

"Hey. Sit down and eat breakfast."

She obediently sat down, and a plate of curry was placed in front of her.

"Hurry up and eat it before the customers start coming in."

It was strange to eat such a dish for breakfast, but decided against complaining. Akira spooned it into her mouth and soon found it difficult to stop shovelling it down her mouth.

 _'SO GOOD!'_

The flavor was so rich and delicious that she was disappointed when her plate was empty.

"That was amazing!"

Sojiro gave her a sheepish grin.

"It's not all that. Anyway start heading out before my customers arrive."

Akira nodded. She stood and waved as she headed out the door. Outside, she flipped the sign to open and hurried to the station. Unlike her hometown, she had no choice but to ride several trains to reach the school.

She hated the trains.

Every passenger was jammed into the small car, and it was beyond unpleasant. She clutched her bag her chest and tried her best to breath evenly. The TV was on the news, discussing the recent train accident increase. It truly was a terrible ride. Looks like she was going to have to get used to it. By the time she could get off and just walk, it began to rain.

 _Just my luck..._

She ran for cover under a nearby building awning. She brushed her wet locks of hair out of her eyes. Her glasses were fogging up too. Whilst cleaning her lens, a hooded figure stood next to her. When she replaced them, it became clear said hooded figure was female.

When she removed her hood, Akira couldn't help but gasp.

This girl was most definitely was a model with that flawless skin, crystal blue eyes, and originally blonde hair. She couldn't stop but stare at this extraordinary girl. Unfortunately for her, the girl noticed her burning gaze and looked back at her. Instead of blasting her or giving her a creeped out look- she smiled at Akira.

It only lasted for a second, but it felt like a century to her. Her smile was innocent and filled with warmth and kindness. So when she turned away, the cold seemed to wash over her.

 _That girl is wearing the Shujin uniform. Maybe we could be friends?_

The idea brought hope into her heart. Perhaps she wouldn't be cast out as easily as she thought. Akira pulled out her phone, trying to think of a casual way to start a conversation with her. Ever since she was expelled, it was safe to say her conversational skills had gone down the drain. Stalling for time, she pulled out her phone, feigning interest in a fake text. Soon enough, that strange app popped back onto her screen, but this time it opened. Her fingers tapped the screen but it refused to close. She turned back to the girl, but was distracted by a car pulling up to the curb. The driver rolled down the window and peered out. It was a man with dark curly hair.

"Good morning, you need a ride? You'll be late at this rate."

"Um sure, thanks."

The blonde girl walked towards the car as if it was the most normal thing to do in a situation like this. He then fixed his gaze on Akira.

"Do you need a ride too?"

"No, I'm fine." She said quickly.

The man nodded and focused back on the wheel, rolling up the window. Just before she completely disappeared from sight, she saw the blonde girl make another face this time.

It didn't radiate warmth or happiness. Instead it was fear, distaste, and disgust. As the car veered from the curb, a blonde haired boy sprinted past her, only missing it by a fraction of a second.

"Damn pervy teacher!" He panted.

She tilted her head in confusion.

"Pervy teacher?"

The app trilled in her hand but she ignored it. He cursed more under his breath. The boy locked eyes with her and gazed upon her with suspicion.

 _With that look he's definitely a delinquent._

"Whatcha staring at? Interested in Kamoshida?" He sneered.

"Kamo...shida?"

His threatening look lessened, replaced by confusion.

"You go to Shujin, but ain't heard of Kamoshida?"

"I just transferred here."

"Well stay away from that asshole. He screws with everyone that he doesn't agree with."

His statement shocked her.

 _How could such a deplorable man be a teacher?_

Ryuji seemed to still be raging angrily too.

"He sees himself as the damn king of the castle!"

"Castle?"

"N-no I didn't mean that."

He sighs in exasperation at her cluelessness. He looks her up and down, then grins a little.

"You know, you're pretty cute."

She coughs and turns away slightly to hide her blush. It's been a while since anyone complimented her, but no one had ever said something like that before. She had never had a boyfriend or even admirers before. Even if she did, having a criminal record would've pushed them away.

"Come on we'd better get going unless you wanna be late." He said.

Akira nodded, pocketing her phone. Suddenly, a wave of pain shot through her head. The blonde boy must've felt it too. He cradled his head abd muttered a complaint before leading her down an alley.

He was a few steps ahead of her, but he slowed his pace to help her keep up. She felt something strange but failed to put her finger on it.

 _Probably first day jitters._

"What the!?"

The boy's yells brings her back to reality. She gasped at the sight in front of them. The sign said Shujin Academy but there was no doubt that this wasn't their school. Replacing the academy was a large magnificent castle.

"What's going on?" She asked turning to him.

"How the hell should I know!?"

They stared at the castle for what felt like eons before he broke the silence.

"Might as well go in right?" He said.

She looked at him nervously, unsure of what to say.

"Come on, I'll look after ya. Promise."

For some reason she trusted him. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, or perhaps the sincerity of his voice; she trusted him.

"Ok, let's go."

He led her into the castle in awe. It was furnished with golden decorations and lavish red carpets, lined with suits of armor.

"Is this for real?"

"It seems so."

The castle was certainly glamorous but there was an odd, harrowing feeling hanging in the air. A clanking noise echoed in the walls.

The two went rigid.

The clanking drew closer and Akira found herself inching closer to the boy. Her stomach dropped as a moving suit of armor walked up to them. The boy seemed undaunted as he strode up to it while Akira struggled to withhold her screams.

"That's some costume. How'd you make it so realistic?"

 _Can he not tell it's NOT a costume?_

His realization came soon enough when more suits of armor strode up to them as if they were soldiers.

"Come on! Don't just stand there!" He yelled.

He grabbed her arm, yanking Akira after him. Unfortunately, their exit was blocked off as more soldiers appeared from the many corridors.

"You are unauthorized to be here!" One commands.

"Capture them!" Another demands.

The soldiers draw closer, surrounding them, blocking them from running anywhere. The boy stood protectively in front of her, but there was no way he could stand against them. The closet one bashes him in the back with its shield, knocking him to the ground.

"Don't hurt him." She said, kneeling besides him.

"Hey! Y-you're gonna break my damn bones..." He whimpers.

The next thing she knew, a hard blunt object smacked into the back of her skull. The world around her grew dark as she collasped onto the ground. The last thing she could see was vivid blonde hair.

 **I hope you enjoyed so far. Ryuji finally appears. I wanted Akira to show more emotion to this situation, specifically fear, since the MC in the game doesn't really react at all. I felt as if Ryuji would attempt to protect a female MC harder than the male MC. Anyway that's all, have a nice day.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone. So glad you all are enjoying this story. Your support is valued and I really appreciate it. On with the story.**

"Hey."

A soft hand grasped her arm, shaking her up. Akira slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and struggled to see clearly. The boy was standing besides her, concern clouding his brown eyes.

"You ok?"

She nodded and rubbed the back of her head.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Looking around, she realized they were imprisoned in a cell. She had been laying on a cot.

"How long have we been out?"

"I dunno."

The boy looked around, clearly agitated.

"The hell is this!? They can't keep us here!"

He proceeds to bang on the cell bars, yelling at anyone nearby.

"Let us outta here! I know someone's out there!"

Akira stood and wandered in their prison. She reached out, touching the shackles hanging from the wall.

"Are these...?" She began.

He looked at them with wide eyes.

"Don't they use 'em for torture and stuff?" He asked uneasily.

 _Is this some kind of sex dungeon?!_

"Dammit...where are we?"

She could feel sweat accumulating on her forehead when a scream echoed in the dungeon. The two rushed up to the bars but they could not see the owner of the screams. More anguished screams erupt from somewhere in the dungeon.

"What the? Were those-"

Before the boy could finish, the armored soldiers clustered to the front of their cage. Instinctively, he stands in front of Akira.

"You're lucky your charges have been quickly decided. You're charged with unlawful entry. Thus, death is your punishment." They say.

"Say what?!"

Akira could only stand there in a stunned silence.

 _Th-There's no way..._

 _Are we going to actually die?_

The soldiers part in the middle, allowing someone to walk up tto them. It was a strange man with bright yellow eyes.

"No one can do as they please in my castle. Lowly scum like you shouldn't be here."

Akira screamed and covered her eyes with disgust. The man wore a crown on his head and tight pink speedo along with an extravagant cape. Unfortunately, she didn't cover her eyes fast enough because all she could imagine in her head was that tight pink speedo.

"Wait, is that you Kamoshida?"

"Kamoshida?" She mumbles.

"Yeah, that bastard in the car from earlier."

Akira thought back to the strange man from before and compared him to the Kamoshida before her. Physically, they appeared to be tge same. But something was off.

"Sakamoto? I'm surprised you aren't alone. I thought it was some lowly thief."

 _Sakamoto. So that's his name._

"Are you still trying to disobey me? You still haven't learned?" Kamoshida asked in mock innocence.

He smirked at Sakamoto then fixated his gaze at Akira. His eyes made her blood run cold. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him.

"She's sneaking around with Sakamoto too? I guess I'll give you a _'special'_ punishment" He said, obviously pleased with the specimen before him.

Sakamoto quickly pushed her behind him.

"Like hell you will! Shut up you asshole!"

Kamoshida glowered down at him.

"Don't you know who you're talking to? Seems you don't understand the position you're in."

Akira nudged Sakamoto gently.

"Don't be so rash. We don't know what he's capable of." She whispered.

"I'm not letting him push us around!"

The soldiers rattled against the bars, surprising the two.

"Time for an execution!"

They forced their way through the cell door and before they knew it they surrounded Sakamoto. Akira stared in horror as they closed in on him.

"Goddammit..." Sakamoto muttered.

With amazing strength, he rammed into one of the soldiers. It clattered to the ground, leaving an opening for them to get out.

"I ain't down for this shit. Let's go."

He reached out towards her but was sucker punched in the gut before their fingers could meet.

"Sakamoto!"

His knees hit the ground as he hacked and coughed, desperate to get air back in his lungs. As he struggled, the soldiers regrouped around him. She rushed forward and tried pushing one away to no avail.

"Hey, get out of here! These guys are serious!" He yelled.

His effort to make her leave failed. She continued to struggle but there was no use. Kamoshida chuckled at her efforts, plunging her heart deeper into her stomach.

"Just abandon him. Give your heart to me." He grinned.

"Shut up!" She whimpered.

"Listen to me! Just hurry up and go!"

Akira looked down at Sakamoto. Despite being a bit beat up, his gaze was intense and serious. Or at least it was until Kamoshida strode across the cell towards him.

"Let's start his execution now."

The soldier gripped his arms tightly, prompting a yelp out of Sakamoto. Once fully raised, a sadistic grin formed on Kamoshida's face.

"Take this!"

Akira screamed as he continuously beat up Sakamoto without giving him a moment to recover.

"Stop it! Stop it! You'll kill him!"

Kamoshida only laughed and ridiculed him as he effortlessly beat down on Sakamoto. With one more punch, he sent the poor blonde face first to the ground. He was motionless on the ground.

 _No... He's not... He can't be..._

Kamoshida spat on him. To her relief, Sakamoto looked up at him, but the damage was evident on his face.

"A peasant like you isn't even worth beating."

A soldier threw him against the wall and he could only lay limply on the ground. Kamoshida glared down at him.

"I'll kill you right now."

Akira couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop it! Have you lost your mind!?" She yelled.

Kamoshida turned his attention back to her. He sauntered up to her, his eyes filled with lust and rage. It was unsettling but she refused to back down. She couldn't- no, she wouldn't- let this insane man kill her first friend.

"Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am."

He got up in her face but she glared back at him. Her defiance irritated him.

"That look irritates me!"

He swiftly kicks her to the ground without a second of hesitation. Her head swims momentarily, giving the soldiers time to restrain her. She struggled in their grip but it was useless.

"No... I don't wanna die..."

Tears filled her eyes at the sight. He looked so confident earlier. And now...

 _Now this asshole reduced him to this._

 _He was so kind..._

 _Why did he deserve this?_

Her thoughts wandered to earlier in the day-

He sighs in exasperation at her cluelessness. He looks her up and down, then grins a little.

'You know, you're pretty cute.'

'Come on, I'll look after ya. Promise.'

She clenched her fists.

 _I hate this._

 _I hate that man._

This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none."

She glanced up. A butterfly fluttered before her eyes.

"But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."

 _Is there really?_

 **What's the matter...? Are you simply going to watch?**

 **Are you forsaking him to save yourself?**

 _Who? Who is...?_

 **Death awaits him if you do nothing.**

 **Was your previous decision a mistake then?**

Flashes of the pleading woman and that bastard of a man flashed in her mind. Static and then the lights of the police car.

"No, it wasn't."

Sakamoto's struggling brought her back to reality. She gasped as the soldier grabbed him from the neck, choking him. It raised its' sword towards him.

 _NO!_

She fiercely flailed against them. Her only thought was save Sakamoto.

 **Very well. I have heeded your resolve.**

Suddenly, her head felt as if her head was being split in half. It felt like agony. Sweat and tears poured down her face as her screams increased in volume.

 **Vow to me.**

 **I am thou, thou art I...**

 **Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!**

Her body jerked violently as the pain grew in an alarming rate.

 **Call upon my name, and release thy rage!**

She threw her head up and screamed with all her might.

 **Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!**

The pain ceased but her anger did not. It flooded her veins and mind.

"Execute him!" Kamoshida commanded.

"Like hell! That's enough!"

Kamoshida turned to her in shock, along with everyone else in the cell.

"What was that...?"

He shook with fury and tension grew in the air. The soldier released his grip on Sakamoto. He gasped for air and sank to the ground.

 _Thank God. He's ok..._

Kamoshida didn't like to be ignored however.

"You desire to be killed that much? Fine!"

He nodded and she was promptly smacked across the face with a shield. Her glasses flew off and her body went numb. When her senses returned, she was restrained already. Sakamoto struggled to stand but sagged to the ground once more. The soldier raised its sword up and flung it down.

She closed her eyes and waited.

 **No**

A burst of energy surged through her. She openned her eyes and felt her power. Wind suddenly picked up blinding everyone, even Akira. Strangely, something grew over her eyes.

 _W-What?_

Her hands gingerly felt the strange thing.

 _A mask?_

Without a second thought, she imediately tried prying it off her face. It felt as if she was ripping off her own skin but she didn't care. She finally yanked off the entire thing and screamed in agony. Blood soaked her forehead and streaked down. It dripped to the ground, but a smirk grew on her lips.

She faced Kamoshida and let her anger run free. The blood dissolved into blue flames, eventually engulfing her entire body. Laughing echoed in the cell. Kamoshida slowly backed up in fear, unsure about what was happening. A sinister smile formed amongst the fire, eventually forming above her. Her clothing changed when she emerged from the flames.

Chains jingled as a strange being emerges from the flames with black and red wings and a dark body. A grin was evident on its face as its claw-like hands touch his top hat. It was tied by the chains but Akira didn't hesitate to release it. Once free, it blew back everyone. Her hair broke out of braids and cascaded down her back.

She stood before Kamoshida and Sakamoto, the former crawling away like a coward while the latter stared in surprise.

Akira only gave him a devilishly alluring smile in return.

I am the pillager of twilight--'Arsene'!"

Akira looked at him and nodded in understandment.

"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall grant you the power to break through this crisis."

She glanced at Sakamoto's battered form then looked at Arsene serious.

"Give me your power. I won't let him suffer any longer." She replied.

"Hmph, very well..."

It was then she realized Kamoshida had somehow mustered up the courage to stand once more, much to her disappointment.

"Who the hell are you!?"

She smirked and glared down at him.

"Your fucking worst nightmare."

Agitated with her tone, he looked at his mangled guards.

"Guards! Kill that one!"

The two soldiers stood and burst into shadow-like entities-eventually forming as some kind of floating pumpkins.

"You'll learn to be obedient to me!" He yelled.

Arsene stood before her, ready to fight. Something sharp pricked her when she brushed her hand over her thigh.

 _A dagger?_

Said weapon was strapped to her right thigh. She pulled it out and along with Arsene, they quickly ended the monsters' lives. Sakamoto looked like her was in shock once the battle ended.

"What...? What was...?"

Kamoshida stomped up to her, his hand raised to attack.

"You little...!?"

Sakamoto stood as fast as he could and rammed into him. He collided with the ground with a thud.

"You like that you son of a bitch!?" He taunted.

"Come on! Grab the key!" She said.

"Huh? The key?"

He spotted the key and grabbed it before exitted the cell with Akira. He quickly locked the door with Kamoshida still inside.

"Ok it's locked!"

The two sighed in relief now that the bastard was stuck on the other side.

"Damn you!" He yelled as he stood.

Sakamoto looked at Akira suspiciously.

"What was that just now!? And... your clothes!"

He checked her out, staring at his slender physique in such immodest clothing. It was pretty damn sexy to him.

"Damn..." He mumbled.

Almost as suddenly as she changed, she reverted back to her normal look.

"Whoa! It went back to normal?" He said, a little disappointed.

"Stop sounding so perverted..." She muttered.

Kamoshida suddenly banged on the cell bars. The two jumped in surprise, clinging to each other in fear.

"You bastards!" He yelled.

"God, this's nuts!" Sakamoto sighed.

"It really is." Akira nodded.

The two stared at each other then jumped apart once they realized their intimate position. They looked away from each other awkwardly.

"A-Anyway, let's scram." He said.

"Right! Come on!" She said.

Akira ran down the path with Sakamoto following her closely. As they went, he chucked the keys into the river of water-an action the vexed the imprisoned Kamoshida. He banged and shook the bars violently.

"Goddamn thieves!"

He swore under his breath as he watched their figures retreat from him.

"What a same, such a beauty could have rivaled my Ann's. Too bad she's been sullied by that damn Sakamoto."

He swore again and shook the bars once again.

"Guards!"

 **Here you guys go. I hope you enjoyed. Sorry for long update. For those of you who don't know, I have a disease that isn't normal for someone of my age to have. I've had it since the 6th grade and we thought it was finally getting better. Unfortunately, it seems I gained new symptoms which could mean the disease is getting worse or the medicine I'm taking is damaging my body. I'm going to the doctor more often now so sorry about that.**

 **Anyway, I changed up a few things from the game here. Not too much but it's enough. Have a nice day everyone.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone. Thanks for all the positive feedback and reviews. Seeing all that makes me so happy. And thanks for the support relating to my health. I'm doing my best to try and get better. On with the story.**

Jumping over streams of water in this porn loving castle wasn't the weirdest thing she had seen today.

Nor was the cages of screaming captives.

It was a talking monster cat they had freed, and went by the name of Morgana.

"How many times do I have to tell you! I am NOT a cat!"

Correction- the talking monster that's not a cat. This first day was certainly going down in the record books. Along the way of searching for a way out, they came across some sort of cat-like creature. It was imprisoned and begged them to release him. With incoming guards on the way, the duo choose to release him in exchange for showing them out.

"Are you sure this ain't some trap cat?" Ryuji asks.

He was very suspicious of the creature since they let it go, but who could blame him? They were seemingly trapped in a strange world. Everything is not as it seems. But he didn't have to keep aggravating it...

"For the last time, I am Morgana! NOT a cat Blondie."

"Blondie!?"

Morgana sighed and gave Akira a sympathetic look.

"I don't know how you tolerated this idiot, Braids."

 _Braids? What kind of nickname is that?_

She simply shook her head and ignored it.

"Let's just keep moving. Last thing we need is to encounter more of Kamoshida's guards." She warned.

The two heeded her words but it was futile. By the next corridor, another hulking guard came straight towards them.

"Oh shit! It's another one of them!"

Akira stepped forward, determined to protect Ryuji. Her clothes once again transformed. Morgana seemed to have other plans. He jumped ahead of the two of them without a second of hesitation.

"You amateur. Zorro!"

Light blinded them as a large black figure wielding a rapier emerged above Morgana. The cat glanced at Akira with interest.

"You look like you can fight. Come, we shall promptly shut them up."

She nodded and followed suit, summon Arsene to aid her in battle. It was strange to see such a small creature wield a sword so nimbly, but he got the job done. His wind attacks knocked down the shadow easily so the fight didn't last too long.

As soon as the shadows were destroyed, her clothing reverted back to normal once more.

"Seems like you don't have full control over your powers yet. The transformation usually doesn't dissolve like that." Morgana said.

"What? That crap doesn't make any sense!" Ryuji groaned.

"Grrr! Can't you just sit still and listen Blondie?"

"Stop callin' me Blondie! My name's Ryuji."

Akira could feel her level of annoyance grow at the two. There was really no time for this nonsense.

"Hey! We have more important things to be doing." She said.

"You're right. We need to get you guys out of here."

 _Took you long enough._

"Before we go, here. You never know when you'll need it."

Morgana pushed medicine into her hands, to which she imediately pocketed.

"Let's go."

The teens followed Morgana up stairs and down some corridors until Ryuji asked them to stop. He stared into the bars of one of the cages. A boy in a red uniform was sprawled on the floor inside.

"I seen those clothes before... Damn! I'm so flustered that I can't remember." He groaned.

"Come on, let's move." Morgana pushed.

"Hold on a sec! Who are these guys?"

His questions seemed to irk Morgana.

"We don't have time for this. We need to move before-"

"OVER THERE!"

The bridge lowered with a thud, blowing dust towards them. Once it cleared, an armored soldier clamored towards them.

"You should've listened to me!" He yelled.

"Come on. Let's fight this thing." Akira said, transforming once more.

The feline grinned at the girl.

"You got guts. I like that."

Just like before, the Shadows didn't stand a chance with the combined power of Zorro and Arsene.

"Come on. Let's get out of here before more show up."

"Wait! We can't just leave these guys here."

"You really don't get it. Tch, I don't have time to explain.." Morgana sighs.

He frowned at Ryuji then turned towards the bridge.

"Do what you want, but I'm heading towards the exit."

Morgana disappeared quickly, leaving both Akira and Ryuji alone. She could see the conflict on his face. As much as she did want to do something, there wasn't much she could.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to help them. But right now, we need to leave." She said.

He looked at her then back at the caged inhabitant.

"Dammit...I'm coming."

The two rush after Morgana and finally catch up to him. He wasn't too far ahead luckily. Maybe he was waiting for them? Nevertheless, they followed him all the way to the end of the hall.

"We're here." Morgana says, skidding to a stop.

"Finally! We're saved..." Ryuji sighs.

He looks around the area for a door, but when the knob turned it refused to open. His relief swiftly became confusion.

"Huh?"

He glared down at Morgana.

"D'you trick us, ya jerk?!"

Morgana didn't seem offended in the least and calmly replied.

"Don't jump to conclusions. Follow me."

Morgana pushed open the next door.

"Come on Ryuji." Akira said, following after him.

"Hey, wait a sec!"

He chased after the two, the door closing behind him. Inside were several shelves of books and an air duct.

"Where are we supposed to get out?! There's not any windows!" Ryuji yells.

Morgana sighs in defeat.

"Ugh, amateur..."

"What was that!?"

Akira pokes him in the shoulder then points to the air vent.

"We can get out from there."

Morgana grins in approval.

"That's it. I knew you were a natural."

 _It probably leads all the way outside._

"Got it. We just need to get the metal off. Hang on a sec."

Ryuji climbs up to the vent and begins prying off the metal covering. In a few moments, it clanks to the ground, followed by Ryuji.

"Damn, that hurt..."

"I hope those guards didn't hear." She muttered.

Ryuji ignored her comment.

"We're seriously getting out of here.."

"You may want to hold off on celebrating until you get out of here." Morgana says.

"Right..."

Akira turned her attention to Morgana.

"Are you coming with us?"

He shook his head.

"There's still something I need to do. Now get going."

"Thank you Morgana, don't get caught again."

Morgana looked away bashfully.

"Heh, you better be careful too."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Ryuji nods.

He climbs up and crawls through the vent, closely followed by Akira. She could've sworn she heard the cat say something, but her thoughts were too occupied with escaping this strange place.

Bright light blinded her as she crawled on, and somehow she ended up standing. Beside her, Ryuji was struggling to catch his breath. It seemed they were standing in the middle of the street.

 _We made it out._

Before anyone could say anything, Akira's phone chimed in her pocket.

 **You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.**

"Huh? Returned?" Ryuji mumbled.

 _So that was like another world? What was that place?_

"I dunno what to think anymore..." He groans aloud.

A moment of silence passes before he explodes.

"What the hell was that!? Kamoshida! That castle! The cat!"

"Calm down, we shouldn't attract any-"

"What's with the yelling? Are you students at Shujin?"

Two police officers strolled up to them.

 _Crap, it's the cops._

"Cutting class huh?"

Akira furiously shook her head in denial, but Ryuji seemed to have other ideas.

"Huh? No! We were trying to get there and then ended up at some weird castle!"

 _Why in the name of hell would anyone believe that..._

Her thoughts rang true as neither officer took his words seriously. They even asked if they were taking drugs. Akira could only sigh as they were told nothing was different at Shujin Academy. She already had a feeling it would be like that.

"You don't want us to report you? Then I recommend you and your boyfriend hurry along to school."

"Hey! She's not-"

"Come on, let's go."

Ryuji stared at her in disbelief as she began walking away.

"Oh come on!"

He didn't stand a chance with the cops alone so he ran after her. Once he caught up, the two made their way to Shujin. As they walked, Ryuji stole a glance at her. She didn't seem to notice the first time, but after the fifth time she met his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, but..."

"But what?"

"Well you've been calling me Ryuji all this time and I don't even know your name..."

She flushed in embarrassment. She had never even asked him for his name, she only overheard when Kamoshida spoke to him .

"That's fine. I'm Akira Kursuru."

"Akira huh? Well, that settles that. Nice to meet ya."

He grins at her and she can't help but smile back.

Luckily, he had asked when he did. Their academy arrival was only a few minutes later. The school looked pretty normal; a stark contrast to the castle they were in earlier.

"Where have you two been?"

A man in a suit quickly walked up to them.

"We received a call from the police about two students skipping class."

"Damn cops snitched on us!" Ryuji frowned.

 _Damn cops._

"So where were you?"

 _Ryuji, please don't say it._

"A castle?"

 _Damn it._

"So you have no intention of telling the truth?" He said with a sigh.

"What's this about a castle?"

The devil himself, Kamoshida, strode up. Seeing him closer now, the Kamoshida here and the perverted one were identical in appearance.

"Kamoshida?!" Ryuji yelled in surprise.

"You're always do carefree Sakamoto. Quite different from when you devoted that time to the track team." The man sighed.

 _Track team?_

"Shuddap! It's your fault that-"

"You dare raise your voice against Mr. Kamoshida!? There's not much leeway left for you." The suited man said.

 _What's with this school? He's not that big of a deal. Is he?_

"He's the one that provoked me!"

"Do you really want to be expelled?!" He threatened.

 _You can't expell someone for something like that!_

Akira looked at Kamoshida. He seemed to be enjoying this little squabble. He eventually did end it, but Ryuji still ended up getting taken by the man in the suit. Leaving her with Kamoshida.

His gaze was set on her.

"By the way, you're that new transfer student right? Akira Kursuru?"

"Yes, that's me."

He stood there in thought momentarily.

"You were that girl from earlier. I invited you for a ride, remember?" He said with a smile.

"Oh yes, that was me."

He made his way towards her. As much as she hated to say it, she was frozen in fear. It was just the two of them.

Alone.

Far from anyone to see him try anything.

He stopped a few steps in front of her, a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

"It must be hard transferring to a new town and school. If you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to come find me."

She blinked at him.

 _What?_

"Oh...um...alright. Thank you." She mumbled.

She had expected Kamoshida to be unpleasant in some way. Yes, he did creep her out, but that might be just because of what she saw in that strange castle. Honestly, she didn't know what to think.

"Just be sure to follow the rules and avoid finding trouble. We wouldn't want you to get expelled."

"Yes, of course." She nodded.

"Your teacher is waiting in the faculty office, so head there first."

His hand touched her shoulder. It sent chills down her spine.

"Thank you very much!" She said quickly.

She walked as fast as she could away from her, but the sensation of his hand remained. As soon as she made her way into the school, all eyes were on her.

 _This can't get any worse, can it?_

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

She held her head delicately and looked at Sae. Her face revealed all.

 _She doesn't believe me at all._

"So your school turned into a castle?"

She glanced at her watch briefly. Her time was running.

"Alright, I'll let you continue your story."

She slide a file onto the table. A card, along with a photo of Kamoshida, were removed from it.

"He was your first target. While I agree indulging in his desires was a deplorable crime. He confessed to it all. But there was no way there was a connection between you two as you just transferred. Why did you target him?"

Akira mulled over the question.

"I'll tell you later."

Her answer was vexing enough for Sae to lose her composure. She took a breath and seated herself.

"That's unacceptable. Try harder to remember."

Akira nodded and closed her eyes.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Students were buzzing as she strode past them. It seems the entire school was talking about her.

 _Maybe they aren't talking about me?_

"Isn't that the transfer student?"

"Yeah. I heard she's got a criminal record."

"I heard she sexually assualted some dude."

"No way. I heard she tried to rape someone."

 _They're definitely talking about me._

She sighed at the attention.

 _Unless there's another transfer student with a criminal record._

It wasn't difficult to find the office, but Ms. Kawakami didn't look very happy. In fact, irritated was probably the best way to describe the expression evident on her face. As soon as Akira walked in, she unleashed a tirade of exasperation onto her-to which Akira could only make feeble excuses.

Unfortunately, she saw through them quickly, and the only thing Akira could hope for was she didn't call Sojiro in a vain attempt to locate her.

"More importantly, I heard you came in with that Sakamoto-kun." The teacher frowned.

Akira nodded in response. Wrong answer. Ms. Kawakami sighed and seemed to radiate a 'you just got here and you're already a disappointment' vibe.

"What do you mean by 'That Sakamoto-kun'?"

She shook her head then proceeded to warn her not interact with him.

 _Why does it seem like everyone is against him?_

 _Did he do something stupid?_

"He wasn't like that when he devoted himself to track and field." She mumbled.

Kawakami stood and began to gather her things.

"Anyway, lunch is almost over. Classes will end after 5th period due to another subway accident. You'll introduce yourself when class resumes."

Akira nodded and took a deep breath. This is what she was dreading the most. She always hated standing in front of the class. But now it's ten times worse. With everyone already talking crap about her, if she didn't nail this she'd be a lost cause.

"Follow me."

She reluctantly followed after her. When Ms. Kawakami slid the door open, the whole class was already seated. As soon as she was spotted, conversations erupted amongst them. She stood in front of them and mulled over what to say. Kawakami had warned her in the hall not to say anything unnecessary.

 _I'll just say my name and something nice._

She was so nervous that she didn't even hear what excuse Kawakami spun up to explain her absence. She barely heard her queue her to introduce herself.

"H-Hello, I'm Akira Kursuru. Nice to meet you all."

 _Dammit, why are you stuttering!?_

Whispers flew around the room. She strained to listen, but she was too far. Kawakami pointed to an empty desk. To her surprise, the blonde girl from earlier sat right in front of her. Akira made her way down the row of seats.

"...Lies."

She blinked in surprise at the blonde.

 _Huh?_

Akira paid no mind and took her seat. She seemed aggravated so talking to her right then didn't seem to be the best decision. Once seated class began, but she could feel the stares of her fellow classmates. The whispers around her didn't help either.

 _This sucks..._

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I also hope you like the differences of how Kamoshida acts around Fem!Akira. This is actually fun imagine all the possibilities. Anyway thanks for reading, and have a nice day.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, it means a lot. Before we start, I'd like to mention a few things. First, last chapter I accidentally wrote Mrs instead of Ms Kawakami. That's been fixed. And second, it actually never clicked that Leblanc never had a shower. I knew there was a bathhouse, but in my mind I thought Akira goes there to relax not to actually bathe. My bad on that. Anyway, let's continue.**

Class had ended and Ryuji had asked her to meet him on the roof.

 _So why on earth am I walking around with Mr. Kamoshida?_

To answer her own question, he had sprang up on her moments after she had spoken to Ryuji. He was pushy man and with zero guts, she was roped into following him. He had a bright smile and seemed to enjoy showing her the numerous classrooms.

Yet she couldn't shake of the unsettling vibe she got from him.

"And this is the gym office. If you ever need to speak to me _privately_ don't hesitate to come speak to me. I'm usually here during the day."

"Alright, thank you."

Kamoshida sighed and rested his arm on her shoulders. She imediately tensed.

"You seem anxious. Are you alright?"

 _You know the answer to that already._

"I'm sorry, but I need to go home. Sojiro is waiting for me." She said quickly.

"Ah, of course. We can finish this another time." He said with a grin.

She nodded and walked away as fast as she could, but not fast enough to alert him. He watched her disappear down the hall then the stairs. His grin morphed into a scowl.

"Tch!"

Within a second, the scowl was a smile once more. The pretty blonde haired girl had just stepped out her classroom. The gym teacher strolled up to her, despite seeing her face plagued with discomfort.

Akira didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she was calming herself in the stairwell. How could she not overhear?

 _This teacher is so sketchy..._

By the time the conversation ended, the blonde had left and Kamoshida looked pissed. He soon left as well, and Akira snuck up the stairs to the roof. The door was unlocked, undoubtedly by Ryuji.

When she energed from the door, she saw Ryuji casually sitting on a chair. When she approached, he didn't hesitate to start the conversation.

"Sorry 'bout calling you up here. I bet Kawakami already warned you not to get involved with me."

He wasn't wrong. It was blatantly obvious she didn't like him much. The teacher had gone out of her way to openly state it after all.

"She thinks you're trouble."

That made him grin.

"Looks like we're in the same boat. I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone's talkin' about it."

She cringed. She had heard several whispers, but the whole school knowing was news to her.

 _How did they find out?_

 _Did a teacher mention it?_

Ryuji didn't seem to notice her in thought and went on. It seemed the idea of the school being a castle and almost getting killed wasn't easy for him to believe.

"It wasn't a dream...right? You remember it too, yeah?"

She did. And there was no way it could be a dream.

"I mean, dream or not, you saved me from Kamoshida. So thanks Akira."

It warmed her heart when he thanked her, to the point where she was blushing in embarrassment. But thinking back to watching Ryuji almost die struck fear in her. She glanced at his face.

 _At the castle, he was covered in bruises... but now there's nothing._

"Your welcome." She said quietly, looking away from him.

He grinned at her reaction, but returned to a serious tone once he began to speak of the strange Kamoshida from that world. Apparently, he has rumors floating around too. Unfortunately, no one speaks up due to making the volleyball team get to nationals, and the fact that he's a medalist.

"...I wonder if we could go back there..?"

Akira stared at him blankly.

 _How could he want to go back after all that happened?_

Her thoughts drifted to Arsene and the power she felt, fighting against the monstrosities of the castle. She decided not to comment, leaving them in silence. This all was too confusing.

"Ugh! It had to be a dream! That's it!"

Ryuji stood and sighed. He glanced at her, standing there silently. He suddenly felt bad for holding her up. Everyone already thought bad of both of them. Last thing he wanted was making her reputation sink lower than his-especially since people might start even more rumors relating to both of them. If not for everyone knowing about her records, she might've passed off as a shy and cute girl.

Too bad she was already involved in whatever that strange Kamoshida is up to. Can't ditch her now.

"Sorry for dragging you up here. That's all I had to say."

She nodded and shifted her bag onto her shoulder.

"You know, we may be pretty similar. I feel as if we'll get along as 'troublemakers'."

She pouted a little, not wanting to be remembered as a troublemaker. He grinned at her and made his way to the door.

"I'll come talk to you from now on. Don't ignore me, alright?"

She nodded and he left with a see ya. She left soon after him and made her way back to Leblanc. As soon as she walked into the cafe, she could already see Sojiro's face.

He was pissed.

The door shut behind her, and he gave her an earfull. The school ended up calling him about her missing the first couple periods of class. She offered an apology, but the damage was already done. He looked disappointed and reminded her of the risks and consequences she could face. A phone call let her off the hook for a little. The person on the other side seemed to calm him a bit, prodding a small smile onto his face.

 _A girlfriend?_

However, he didn't seem to enjoy Akira overhearing him. His gaze was all she needed to know he was sending her to bed. She would come back down after he left to make sure things were locked and secure.

By the time Sojiro left and she changed, she felt exhausted.

 _Maybe it's because all that weird stuff happened?_

It most definitely was.

She curled up underneath her covers and closed her eyes.

 **-TAKE YOUR TIME-**

Akira groaned and rubbed her head as she sat up.

 _Why does Igor feel the need to talk to me practically every night?_

This annoyed her, but she couldn't help but be curious of the strange place. He had told her that she could finally start her rehabilitation due to awakening to her power. Igor told her about her Persona in vague terms, and when she pressed for more information, he withheld it.

Honestly, the only thing she was certain of was who sent her the strange app. Igor called it the Metaverse, so that was one mystery solved.

 _Only about a million more to figure out..._

She clamored out of bed and began to ready herself for school. Sojiro provided her with another wonderful breakfast, accompanied by stern looks and a severe warning to attend all classes today.

"It's raining this morning, so don't forget your umbrella."

Akira nodded and obediently followed his instructions. She stepped outside and changed the sign to open, then went off.

As always, the train ride was tight and horrendous. The people within her vicinity were talking about the latest subway accident, much to her displeasure. Why anyone would talk about such an accident as they were riding a train was beyond her.

They went on about people losing their minds and such. Luckily, the train stopped so she could push her way out of the crowd and onto the platform.

The rest of the walk was uneventful; however she didn't catch a glimpse of Ryuji yet. The school seemed to be the same as well.

 _But what about that castle?_

She shook her head and went on to class. The pretty blonde haired girl was there already, but her face radiated with hostility. Akira sat behind her silently, staring out the window as class went on. One of her teachers called on her, but she managed to scrape by and guessed correctly.

The school day droned on, but eventually it did end. She waited until majority of the class left before getting up to leave. She had a feeling Mr. Kamoshida might be around.

Her feeling was right.

There he was, a few steps away from her class. Fortunately, his focus was not on her. Unfortunately, it seemed he was harrassing the blonde girl again. The pair didn't notice her standing there idle. Eavesdropping is a bad habit to have, but she did it nonetheless.

He offered her another ride, and just like last time she declined. As their conversation drew to a close, Akira swore she saw a scowl on his face.

 _So her name is Takamaki..._

Kamoshida left so the coast was clear for Akira to head back. As she stepped out of the gates, a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her away.

She almost screamed if she hadn't seen the goofy smile on Ryuji's face.

"Yo."

"You waited to scare me half to death?" She said, glaring at him.

"No, I wanna talk about tha castle from yesterday."

His expression became serious as he went on.

"I tried tellin' myself it was a dream...but I couldn't. I can't act like nothing happened, and it's all connected to that bastard Kamoshida."

Akira remained silent, but saw anger brewing within her friend.

"I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what. And ya know, you're the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?"

Akira hesitated for a moment. To be frank, the castle had terrified her. The only reason they made it out was thanks to Morgana and her strange powers.

But at the same time, having that power was like a rush. Like she was invincible. There was also no way she'd let Ryuji go in alone.

"Ok, I'm in."

"Sweet! Looks like I managed to talk you into it."

She gave him another look but nodded anyway.

"So what's next?"

"I think we should just try and retrace our steps from yesterday."

And that they did. As they walked together, he told her to speak up if she saw anything remotely strange.

 _He really isn't a bad guy. I guess I'll just go with it._

He led her to the street they originally met on, down the back alley, and returned to a normal Shujin Academy. Nothing had changed and there wasn't a single castle in sight. The revelation seemed to confuse Ryuji, but he showed no signs of giving up.

They decided to try again, but the conclusion was the same. No castle.

"For real?" Ryuji sighed.

There was no logic to explain what was going on. No map had the castle on it. Ryuji had even checked his phone, but no dice. The two were back to square one.

"Wait. Phone..."

"Huh?"

"That reminds me, didn't you have some kind of navigation app on your phone?"

She gave him a blank look.

"Navigation app?"

He shrugged and held his hand out.

"I dunno if it was or not, but I heard stuff that sounded like it coming from it."

Now that he mentioned it, she did remember her phone saying weird stuff when they escaped the castle.

 _I'm pretty sure it said welcome back to the real world._

Ryuji's hand was still out, so she handed her phone over to him. He face broke into a grin as he looked at her apps. A chuckle escaped from his lips, followed by full blown laughter.

"What's so funny?"

He struggled to breathe as he continued to laugh. After a moment, he took a breath and pointed to an app on her screen.

"You play Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector!"

Her face burned as he doubled over.

"Shut up, it's a cute game! Just look for the damn navigation app!"

"Alright, alright..."

"There's nothing wrong with collecting and caring for cats on my phone!"

"Whatever you say~"

He grinned and focused on finding the navigation app. Honestly, he had the same game on his phone, but seeing Akira get flustered was too cute of a moment to pass up. He frowned at a strange red app.

"What's this eyeball thing?"

"It just appeared. I keep deleting it but it keeps coming back."

"Creepy... What a weird app."

Akira nodded and peered over his shoulder, watching as he fiddled with the app.

"Oh wait, this is it! I knew it-it IS a navigation app! It even has your search history."

He grinned triumphantly at her.

"Oh man, I'm such a genius! Let's try it out!"

"I don't know about this..."

Ryuji shrugged and started up the app anyway.

"Why? All we're is starting the app."

Her phone buzzed.

 **Kamoshida**...

 **Shujin Academy**...

 **Pervert Castle**...

 **Beginning Navigation.**

The world itself seemed to shift and darken.

"What the hell!?"

The eye clouded her phone screen, buzzing and glowing. The school warped before their eyes eventually becoming the castle from the day before. Ryuji had already ran towards the entrance so Akira followed suit.

"It's back.. So that means everything that happened yesterday was real.." Ryuji said.

He turned and jumped at the sight of Akira.

"..Those clothes!"

She blinked and looked at herself. There wasn't any threat so why the change? Although, she did enjoy the outfit to the point of doing a little flamboyant twirl.

"What's with that outfit?"

She flashed a grin at him.

 _Payback time._

"Looks pretty hot on me right?"

"W-What!? No!"

He looked away as Akira giggled.

"What the hell is going on?"

 **-TAKE YOUR TIME-**

Before they knew it, once again they were travelling and exploring the depths of Kamoshida's Castle. During said exploration, Akira noticed a few things.

One. Hate didn't begin to cover how Ryuji felt about Kamoshida.

Two. Ryuji ran in a somewhat strange fashion.

Three. A fake gun can shoot real bullets in this world.

And four. Kamoshida wasn't only an asshole, but an abusive asshole.

The things they found in the training hall were truly disturbing. Soldiers beating his own players, forcing them to keep working without breaks, and even attacking them with volleyballs. The hall was dark and radiated a somewhat sinister yet terrifying atmosphere.

"The hell? This ain't training at all...just violence!"

 _This is sick_

Ryuji stared intently at each passing cage, memorizing the faces of the injured students.

"This is bullshit! How is he gettin' away with this!?"

 _Good question._

"Hey, are you done yet? We're cutting it close!" Morgana asked.

Ryuji ignored him, but attempted to hasten his work. Once done, they hurried out of the hall.

"Hurry! We need to get out of here quick!"

They escaped the hall unscaved, but it wasn't like that for long. They had overstayed their welcome, and now it seemed the shadows knew of their presence.

"Tch! We stayed too long. Come on, we gotta get out of here!" The cat whispered.

The group crept quietly out of the area. Morgana knew where the exit was so the cat led them up stairs, stopping in a lavish room of red carpeting and extravagant chandeliers.

Before them was Kamoshida himself, along with several guards. He walked towards them, anger visible on his face.

"You knaves again! To think you'd make the same mistake twice."

Ryuji stepped forward as well.

"The school ain't your castle! I've memorized all their faces real good. You're going down!"

The king only laughed in response.

"It seems what they say is true: barking dogs seldom bite."

"What was that!?"

"How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."

The comment clearly infuriated her friend, so he went on.

"There he is: the Track Traitor! He who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams!"

Akira shot him a questioning look, but he refused to meet her gaze.

"Oh, I can only imagine the pain they endured due to your...selfish act."

Ryuji groaned and looked at the ground.

"Track traitor?"

Ryuji didn't say anything to that, but guilt flashed in his eyes. He couldn't meet her eyes. He didn't want her to be like everyone else. Kamoshida laughed again, enjoying every moment.

"What a surprise! So you're accompanying him around without knowing anything at all."

Kamoshida continued his speech, retelling how Ryuji betrayed his team and crushed their dreams.

"And look! He carries on as carefree as ever."

"That's not true!" Ryuji yells.

The words replayed in his head. A ball of ice sank in his stomach. The faces of his old teammates, staring at him in disdain. Then it was Akira staring down at him as well. Morgana's calls brought him back to reality. He had backed up on impulse, barely missing the soldiers transform into shadows.

"Goddammit..." He muttered.

Both Akira and Morgana were quickly surrounded by the loyal shadows of Kamoshida. Sure, the duo were strong, but these shadows tool advantage of their formation, eventually defeating the two. Before long, Morgana was pinned to the ground as Akira was held up by her hair.

"No..."

Ryuji fell to his knees, watching helplessly.

"What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly."

Kamoshida grinned and walked closer to Akira's struggling body. As if on cue, the soldier pulled harder, forcing a cry of pain out of the poor girl.

"How dare you raise a hand at me?" He says with a grin.

He gazed upon her struggling form before facing Ryuji once more.

"Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice."

His tone vexed Ryuji. His fists tightened as he struggled to hold his composure.

"That wasn't kindness- it was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!"

"The only one who needs to show results is me! If that damned coach hadn't opposed me with a sound agrument, I would've settled it with breaking his star's leg."

Akira winced.

 _Kamoshida actually did that? No way..._

Ryuji's face paled.

"What? Do you need me to deal the other leg too? The school will only call it self defense."

Sweat trickled down his face.

He could remember it all.

The anger.

The snap.

The pain.

The floor.

 **The rejection.**

He began to curl up, his nerves taking over.

"Dammit...Am I gonna lose again? Not only can I not run anymore... but the whole track team is gone 'cause of this asshole!"

Morgana as well as Akira felt the sorrow from him. This was the reason Ryuji despised the man. Not only had he hurt him, he had stolen something important from him.

Kamoshida put more weight on his foot, crushing Morgana some more. He imediately began ordering this execution, seeing that there was no hope for any of them. As much as Akira hated it, Kamoshida had the upper hand.

But there was no way in hell she'd let it stay like that.

"Stand up for yourself! Don't let him win!" She called out.

"Ryuji!" Morgana yelled.

Ryuji didn't move at first, but he eventually rose from the ground.

"...You're right. Everything important to me was taken by him. I'll never get it back..."

Kamoshida gave him an unimpressed look.

"Just stay there and watch! Look on and watch as these hopeless scum die for siding with trash like you."

Ryuji was finally on his feet. He stared down the man with no reserve.

"No. That's what you are. All you think about is using people... You're the real scumbag!"

Ryuji stalked up to him.

"What are doing!? Silence him!"

He wasn't going to be silenced.

Never again.

"Stop lookin' down at me with that stupid smile on smile on your face!"

 _You made me wait quite a while._

His eyes became glaringly yellow as he held his head.

"A-aagh!"

He sank to the ground clutching his head harder.

 _You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact._

It was horrifying to watch. Your friends clawing at the ground, saliva splattering out of his mouth.

 _Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc...?_

Ryuji cried out in pain. Sweat trickled down his face as he rolled and thrashed across the carpet.

 _The "other you" who exists within desires it thus..._

 _I am thou, thou art I..._

 _There is no turning back..._

 _The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!_

His head swung up, revealling a metallic skull obscuring his upper face.

Despite the sudden change, soldiers seemed unfazed. The golden one pulled harder on Akira, who in turn screamed in response.

"Hmph, what can you do? Cower in fear and watch!"

It's sword was no raised and aimed at the girl. He couldn't let her get hurt. Ryuji began to stumble forward, struggling to rip it off.

"Nnngh...HRAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Blood spurted from his face as the metal was ripped off his face. Blue light blinded the room, along with whipping winds, freeing Akira and Morgana from Kamoshida and his minions.

When the light started to die down, there stood Ryuji, clad in a matching black jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, as well as a pair of yellow gloves. Behind him, was a skeleton pirate, riding its' ship like a skateboard. He gave Kamoshida a wicked grin.

"Right on... Wassup Persona... This effin' rocks!"

Akira and Morgana moved to his side. She flipped her hair and Morgana looked at Ryuji. Both were ready to assist him and make Kamoshida pay.

"Now that I got this power, it's payback time!"

He grinned at his teammates.

"Yo, I'm ready. Bring it!"

The soldier stood back up, the golden one stepping up first.

"Don't mock me, you brat!"

The soldier changed it form, taking a battle stance.

"Blast him away... Captain Kidd!"

With Ryuji and his steel pipe's help, the group manages to stop and defeat the shadows. Once the battle ended, he took some deep breaths then regained his energy.

"How 'bout that!?"

 _So Ryuji has a Persona too..._

"Even if you apologize... I ain't forgivin' ya!"

Kamoshida only smirked. He didn't show an ounce of remorse on his face.

"I told you this is my castle. It seems you still don't understand."

He whistled and footsteps echoed in the quiet room. First was the Takamaki girl from her class in a skimpy pink and black bikini with cat ears and pink pumps.

 _WAIT WHAT!?_

Next came herself, in an identical swimsuit except it was orange and black. And her glasses were missing.

"Get your hands off them you perv!"

The two girls were cuddle his arms between their breasts whilst giggling at the same time. Takamaki was drawing circles on his chest with her finger, and Akira was swinging her ass back and forth- as if she were attempting to hypnotize him.

Morgana didn't seem to mind, but Akira sure did.

"What's going on...!?" Ryuji muttered.

Despite him saying that, she could tell his eyes were glued on the practically naked girls.

"Will you two stop staring already!? Something's obviously off!"

The girls giggled again, prompting Akira to gag and Morgana to swoon.

"Calm down, you two. These girls aren't real. They're the same as those slaves- beings made from Kamoshida's cognition."

"This... this is what Kamoshida thinks of me. Some sort of skank!" Akira yelled.

Anger boiled in her blood, but Kamoshida paid no mind. It amused him even more.

"Are you jealous?" He sneered.

No one answered, and it seemed to fuel him even more.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Women aren't drawn to problematic punks like you."

 _This is ridiculous!_

"Dammit...!"

This was getting to all of them by this point.

"Clean them out this instant!"

Once the words left his mouth, tons of soldiers suddenly appeared.

"We're out numbered...Let's scram before we get surrounded!"

With no other choice, the group ran as fast as they could.

 **Sorry this took so long guys. I got sick, my sister came home, college visits, I got sick again, SATs, and then I got sick. Again. Fun times. Anyway hope you enjoyed. Ryuji got his Persona and I changed up a few things. See you guys again next update. And about the cat app, funny story. When I started playing, I thought one of the apps was the game XD.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! So happy with all the reviews and kind words. Also thank you for being patient with the updates, I really appreciate it. Let's continue!**

"The hell man! How much shitter can that asshole get!?"

Akira sighed at Ryuji's actions, turning her attention away from her bowl.

"Calm down, I'm eating."

Ryuji released a grunt of frustration.

"Are you for real? I wouldn't calm down til I punched that dick in the face."

Akira giggled at his comment but knew he was right. That asshole was the reason for all of this. He seemed to be the reason her feet were kicked out from under her.

Ryuji kept on talking whilst shoving food into his mouth. She grinned at him sheepishly and focused on eating herself. Ryuji shifted his gaze at her, watching her eat daintily. It was strange to see such a fierce girl in that other world be timid and proper in reality.

"Come on dude eat! There's tons of ginger in it!"

Ryuji grinned at her and began loading more food into her bowl.

"That's a bit much don't you think?"

"Come on! Let me treat you! It's the least I can do."

She smiled at him gratefully and proceeded to eat. Thinking about it now, she felt as if Ryuji and her were more alike than she originally thought. They both were treated like shit by adults.

They both didn't belong.

 _But we can together._

The thought made her smile. Ryuji downed his bowl and let out a satisfying belch.

"The place you're livin' in... it's in Yongen, right?"

She nodded. She had already told him the truth behind her record and her situation. She already deemed him trustworthy and felt as if he should know at least some detail.

"It's rush hour on the subway. I recommend you kill some time before headin' home."

"Noted."

Ryuji and her spent the next few hours together at the beefbowl shop, eating and talking.

"Oh yeah! Tell me your number. Chat ID too."

The two traded numbers and proceeded to enjoy their meal. Kamoshida came up a bit in their conversations, but Akira found just having a normal conversation with Ryuji was much better. Last thing she needed to remember was the skanky version of herself in that hellhole.

Time passed and she headed home. She thought about their plan for the volleyball rally.

 _Find the slaves and confront them about the abuse._

She wasn't sure how this idea was going to go but they didn't have any better plans. She stepped onto the train. Ryuji had told her Kamoshida recommended the event, then went on to gag.

She giggled at the thought.

Someone shoved her into a window, ramming her side into the glass. She groaned and resisted the urge to yell.

 _The subway sucks..._

After a few train stops and walking, she was back at Leblanc. She pushed the door open, revealing Sojiro sitting in on of the chairs reading a newspaper.

"...You're home. I take it you actually went to school today?"

Akira nodded sheepishly.

She had forgotten about yesterday's detour.

"Yeah, I did."

"I guess you learned your lesson from yesterday. As long as you aren't getting in trouble, it's fine by me."

She nodded and began to make her way to the stairs.

"Hold on."

Akira stopped and turned to face him in confusion.

"I don't know what you've been up to, but trust me, you'll be gone if you start causing problems. In cae you forget, your life is not a free one now."

She raised her brow before nodding.

 _As if I don't already know that..._

Her thoughts suddenly halted as her phone trilled in her pocket.

 _Is it that app again?_

To her surprise, it was a text message.

 **Ryuji: Hey. I decided to go ahead and text you.**

Before she could respond, another message came in.

 **Ryuji: Can you see this?**

 **Akira: Yea, I can**

 **Ryuji: I'll be counting on you tomorrow.**

 **Akira: Got it. Let's do our best.**

 **Ryuji: You're a bro man.**

 **Ryuji: Or woman?**

 **Ryuji: Doesn't matter. Anyway see ya tomorrow.**

Akira giggled at his messages. Sojiro sighed at her. Here he was lecturing her, and all she was doing was texting someone.

"...Sheesh are you even listening to me?"

She smiled at him sheepishly. He groaned and shook his head.

"Just stay away from bad influences, ok?"

She nodded, but she could feel the sweat trickling down the back of her neck. As she proceeded up the stair, she mentally promised to never bring Ryuji to Leblanc.

Or at least until Sojiro softens up a bit.

Deep down, she knew he cared. At least a little bit. Yes he was an ass sometimes, but he meant well. Probably. As she dropped her bag on the counter, all of today's events replayed in her mind. She sank to her knees and released a long needed sigh.

 _This is so overwhelming..._

Kamoshida and his bullshit was taking over her mind.

 _So much for keeping a low profile._

It was aggravating enough dealing with him at Shujin, but his palace version was even worse.

How did Morgana endure being in there for so long?

 _Morgana..._

Said creature would be super pissed the next time they crossed paths. She and Ryuji sorta kinda blew him off. Instead of staying back with him, the two had favoured ditching him instead.

With a sigh, she removed her glasses and rubbed her face.

 _I need to sleep... I feel exhausted..._

After changing, her heavy body collided with the mattress. Her eyelid began to grow heavy as she sank deeper into sleep. Before she could get too far her phone trilled.

"Ugh... This better be important." She groaned.

 **Ryuji: That thingy on your phone was some red eyeball thingy, right?**

 **Akira: Yeah why?**

 **Ryuji: We got to that weird place using that nav app? It just appeared on my phone. I don't remember installing it.**

 **Akira: Talk about creepy...**

 **Ryuji: For real. What is this thing? Think it downloaded itself?**

 **Akira: Definitely.**

 **Ryuji: It's dangerous to use something without knowing what it is.. but with it we can go to that weird place.**

 **Akira: Looks like it.**

 **Ryuji: Ok I guess it'll depend** **on how we use it.**

 **Ryuji: Oh and I got your back tomorrow. Don't go ditching school!**

 **Akira: Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?**

 **Ryuji: Shuddap!**

 **Akira: See you tomorrow.**

 **Ryuji: Yeah see ya!**

Akira stiffled back a yawn and succumbed to sleep.

Unfortunately night became day, and Akira awoke after another night in the Velvet Room. A good part of her wanted to mouth off at Igor, but she wasn't exactly the boldest person in the world. He certainly had high hopes for her.

 _Confidants huh..._

She pushed herself out of bed, and began getting ready for this big day ahead of her.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Ryuji and Akira sat besides each other against the gym wall, watching the volleyball rally. Kamoshida was destroying the student team without breaking a sweat. It disgusted her to see how many girls were cheering for him.

 _They don't know anything about him._ _He's got the whole school wrapped around his fingers._

Away from the throng of girls was Takamaki. She didn't seem to be interested in the slightest, only playing with the end of one of her pigtails. Akira thought back to that rainy day when she first saw her. And how miserable she looked stepping into Kamoshida's car.

"Still the same.."

Akira turned and shot Ryuji a questioning look. He has looked at Takamaki for a moment before yawning and stretching his arms above his head.

"Pretty boring, right?"

She grinned but worrying thoughts sprouted at the back of her mind.

 _Does he know Takamaki?_

 _Did they have some kind of relationship?_

A frown formed on her lips. Despite just getting to know Ryuji, it was a little irking to think he and Takamaki were possibly together or had interest in one another. Maybe she was just being overprotective of her friend?

"Yeah!"

"Go Kamoshida!"

The cheers of students snapped her out of her thoughts. Ryuji sneered at him.

"He'll get what's coming to him..."

The match droned on and Akira herself was having a hard time paying attention.

Or at least she was before he spiked the ball.

No one could block the ball fast enough. Nor could anyone stop it from slamming into some student's face. Her hands flew to her mouth as the student was knocked to the ground.

The gym filled with shrieks as his teammates surrounded him. Looking away from the injured player, she focused on Kamoshida. Like she thought there was no remorse on his face.

Almost as if he spiked the poor kid on purpose...

He just stood and watched for a couple moments before moving to help out. It may have looked sincere, but both Akira and Ryuji knew the truth.

"What a terrible man..." She mumbled.

The match continued once the injured player was removed from the court. At this point, she had seen enough. The two left the gym. As they left, a certain blonde watched them disappear.

Both Akira and Ryuji ventured around the school for possible victims. Each one had some form of injury, but they all shot them down. Not one would admit to the slightest possibility that Kamoshida was abusing them. It made sense though. If they squealed and Kamoshida found out somehow, they'd be in an even worse situation.

Some were reluctant to speak with them. Apparently Kamoshida warned them not to speak with _sketchy_ people.

This ordeal was beginning to be pointless.

Or at least it was at first.

"Mishima?"

"Uh! F-Forget I said anything!"

She frowned but had no chance to reply. An announcement dimissed the students to go home, and the first year had already shuffled away.

 **Pi- Pi- Pi!**

 **Ryuji: Dammit! We're out of time. How'd it go?**

 **Akira: Take a wild guess.**

 **Ryuji: So you didn't have any luck too. Let's regroup in courtyard.**

 **Akira: Ok see ya soon.**

She pocketed her phone and made her way through the corridors. When she reached the courtyard, he had yet to arrive. She distracted herself by looking at the goods inside the vending machine.

 _Maybe I'll buy a drink or..._

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Akira blinked and turned to see Takamaki standing before her. Unconsciously, she pushed her glasses up.

"Sure."

Takamaki nodded and came a bit closer.

"This'll be quick."

She glanced around for a moment then allowed her face to harden.

"So what's with you and Kamoshida? Along with you lying on why you were late on first day, and all these new rumors you're the talk of the school."

"New rumors?"

"About you and Kamoshida. There's also some with you and Ryuji."

Akira frowned at this. She knew her record would bring about rumors, but just having Kamoshida hanging around was just making it worse.

"So what's your deal?" She repeats.

"Whaddya want with her?"

Ryuji had appeared and he looked pissed.

"Right back at you. You're not even in our class." Takamaki shot back.

"We just happen to know each other."

Akira watched the sparks blow between them.

"What are you planning to do to Mr. Kamoshida?"

Ryuji glared at her.

"... I see. I getcha. You're all buddy buddy with him after all."

His comment made her tense.

"This has nothing to do with you Sakamoto. And it's not like she's any less guilty."

Takamaki points at Akira, who flinches at the sudden accusation. Ryuji flicks his eyes towards her momentarily, but shifts back to the blonde girl.

"If you found out was he was doin' behind your back, you'd dump him right away."

A bewildered look took over her face.

"Behind my back...? What do you mean?"

Ths pair remained silent.

She looked at the two suspiciously, but she knew better to continue. She had already lost this battle.

"Anyway, people are talking about you two already so nobody's gonna help you. Just wanted to warn you."

And with that, she turned to leave. Suddenly, she turned back to Akira.

"I dont know what you're up to, but stay away from Kamoshida."

With that final statement, she turned and disappeared around the corner. Once she was definitely gone, a sigh escaped Akira's lips.

 _Damn it. Kamoshida's on to us._

Meanwhile, Ryuji was still griping about Takamaki.

"Why's she gotta be so aggressive?"

Akira didn't think so. It sounded more of concern and worry.

 _What is she hiding?_

Ryuji himself was worried as well. However, his worry was growing. Takamaki had mentioned Akira being close to that asshole. He couldn't imagine ger cozying up besides him. It was almost vomit inducing.

He shook his head.

"Anyway, she's not what we're here to talk about. Find anything out?"

Akira nodded.

"A boy named Mishima gets _special coaching_ from Kamoshida."

Ryuji frowned. He knew the boy and he too was always covered in bruises.

"Is he still here? Maybe we can talk to him." She said.

"Yeah."

Turns out Mishima was a boy from her class, as well as the kid who got spiked by Kamoshida earlier. Up close, he was bruised and battered. Akira felt her heart twinge slightly at the sorry sight.

Ryuji didn't waste any time getting to the point with him.

"Sakamoto...? And Kurusu-san too!?"

He visible began to sweat. He took a few steps back as well.

 _Wow, we really must be a scary duo._

"Calm down, we just wanna talk. Kamoshida's been _coaching_ you, right?"

The poor boy tensed.

"You sure it ain't physical abuse?" He continued.

"C-Certainly not!"

The conversation went on in repetition. Ryuji would say something against Kamoshida, but Mishima would respond with a meek excuse.

"What's going on here?"

 _Speak of the asshole himself._

Kamoshida waltzed up to them with a smug grin on his face. As he drew closer, Mishima audibly gulped.

"Mishima, isn't it time for practice?" He asked, turning to him.

"I-I'm not feeling well today." He mumbled, turning his head away from the daunting figure.

"What? Then maybe you're better off quitting." Kamoshida sighed.

Mishima didn't respond, prompting the square chin to continue.

"You're never going to improve that crappy form if you don't show up to practice."

Ryuji stood between the man and Mishima.

"Didn't you hear? He ain't feelin' well." He sneered.

Kamoshida glared down at the blonde boy and scoffed.

"Well? Are you coming to practice or not Mishima?"

"I'm coming..." He muttered.

He nodded and then looked back at Ryuji.

"Anymore trouble from you, and you'll be gone from this school for sure."

Ryuji grunted in response. He couldn't say anything without Kamoshida making things worse for them. The teacher then set his sights on Akira.

"Kurusu-san, I recommend you keep your distance from Sakamoto. He'll just drag you into unncessary trouble." He said with a grin.

She could sense Ryuji's growing anger, as was her own, but lashing out would make things worse for them.

"I... I see..." She mumbled.

Kamoshida grinned at her answer, and Akira hated that. She gritted her teeth and held in her hate.

"What's wrong Kursuru-san? You look as if you want to say something."

Her mouth moved before her mind could process her answers.

"You have an amazing strike."

The man stared at her for a while before breaking into a stupid grin.

"Thank you. I'm glad I was able to impress you."

He turned his focus back to Mishima.

"Let's go Mishima."

Kamoshida then turned to leave.

"Bastard..." Ryuji muttered.

It seemed Ryuji didn't say it quiet enough. Kamoshida stopped in his tracks but refused to face them.

"Shujin Academy is a place where thode with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students don't have any right to be here."

The group remained silent.

"Remember what the principal said Kurusu-san. Stay in line."

She stiffened slightly as he words sank into her mind. With that, he took his leave.

"Get with the program!" He called as he walked away.

Mishima sighed and replied feebly. Ryuji walked forward but didn't chase after the volleyball coach.

"That asshole... He's gonna pay for this!"

"...There's no point."

Ryuji and Akira stared at the bruised boy. He looked dejected and hopeless as he spoke.

"Proving that he's physically abusing us is meaningless..."

"How can you say that?!" Ryuji yelled.

"Everybody knows... the principal... our parents... They all know and they all keep quiet."

"How can that be?" She said.

 _How can anyone sit back and pretend this isn't wrong?_

"This has gotta be a joke!"

Mishima shook his head and sighed.

"...Don't be a pain. You don't understand what I'm going through. Shouldn't you of all peaople know nothing's going to help!?" He said, glaring at Ryuji.

Ryuji grunted and turned away. Akira couldn't help but glance at his leg. His permenant reminder of Kamoshida destroying his life. With that, Mishima jogged off towards the gym. As he left, her heart ached for him.

 _Poor Mishima.._

"Dammit!"

Akira glanced at Ryuji.

"What now?" She asked.

He thought for a moment before answering.

"I'll try one more time to see if I can persuade the others... That's all I can do..."

Akira could sense the weakness he felt. As much as he wanted to help it seemed loke they've hit a roadblock.

"Ok. Good luck."

"See ya."

He watched as she disappeared into the throng of students. Unconsciously, his hands tightened into fists. He should've asked her about the rumors.

About her and Kamoshida.

Surely she had interest in that asshole. His mind wandered to the Akira from the other world.

 _Damn she looks good in a bikini..._

He shook his head. Akira would kill him for thinking about that and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her anger. Alone, he went back to find the volleyball players.

 _Yeah... There's no way she's into Kamoshida._

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira made her way down the alley to Leblanc. It had been a long day.

 _So much happened..._

As she headed up the stairs, Mishima's words echoed in her mind.

 _"Proving that he's physically abusing us is meaningless..."_

 _"Everybody knows... the principal... our parents... They all know and they all keep quiet."_

"How terrible..."

It shocked her that so many people could know of Kamoshida's crimes, but chose to remain silent. She laid in bed listening to the silence filling the attic.

 _He's going to pay._

 **Pi-Pi-Pi!**

She sat up and grabbed her phone. Sure enough it was Ryuji.

 **Ryuji: Hey, this don't make any damn sense.**

 **Akira: What do you mean?**

 **Ryuji: The principal and even the parents know about the abuse. So why ain't anyone speaking up!?**

 **Akira: Because of volleyball. The team is a big deal isn't it?**

 **Ryuji: Yeah but that doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want. He's beating up kids and all they're allowed to do is endure it.**

He was right.

 **Ryuji: And his follower doesn't seem to care.**

She frowned at his text.

 **Akira: Follower?**

 **Ryuji: Ann Takamaki? That girl from the courtyard, remember?** **Dude, she's in your class.**

 _So her name is Ann..._

 **Ryuji: I ain't giving up! I'll try looking around more during break tomorrow.**

 **Akira: Ok good luck.**

She yawned and dropped her phone besides the bed. Her thoughts drifted to everything that had happened today. Ann, Mishima, and Kamoshida...

 **TAKE YOU** **R TIME**

Akira was in class the next time Ryuji texted her. She glanced at her teacher but he seemed distracted.

 **Ryuji: So about the witnesses... I was thinkin' we could talk to Takamaki.**

Her eyes drifted to the back of the blonde's head. She was gazing out the window so it was safe to assume she wasn't paying attention either.

 **Akira: You think she'll help? She's not even on the team.**

 **Ryuji: Just hear me out. Takamaki's BFFs with a girl on the team named Suzui. I tried talking to her during break but got nothing. Maybe Takamaki knows something.**

In Akira's opinion, Takamaki definitely knew something. Something about her and Kamoshida's relationship was fishy. But she probably wouldn't talk to them.

 **Akira: I don't think she'll willingly help us out.**

 **Ryuji: I guess it would be hard to get her to talk. Sorry, lemme see what else I can come out with.**

It was nice to see Ryuji so invested in helping the people being abused.

 _He's such a nice guy._

The rest of class and the day went by uneventfully. As Akira made her way through the hall towards the courtyard, she spotted a lone girl with black hair with a bad bruise over her eye. She stood in front of the walkway door as she stared down at her phone.

She looked sad.

The girl turned her.

"What?" She said in a soft tone.

She blinked for a moment before realizing where she was.

"Oh... I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

Akira bit her lip, staring at the girl a bit.

 _Is she part of the volleyball team?_

"... Are you hurt?" She asked.

The girl held her arm and shifted back a bit, mumbling to herself.

"You don't look familiar. Are you by any chance the transfer student from Class D?"

Akira cringed. She nodded and braced herself. The rumors about her were still swirling around. God only knows what people told her. The girl looked away and Akira already knew what was coming next.

"This might not be my business, but don't let the rumors get to you. Ok?"

She blinked at her.

 _That was... unexpected..._

Most people avoided her and spread more rumors relating to her. But her... she was so kind. She was worried about Akira more despite everything happening to her.

"Yeah. Thank you."

Her response seemed to cheer the downcast girl a bit.

"I'm glad to hear that... My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..."

Akira hesitantly patted her shoulder.

"That sounds tough."

The girl shook her head and began apologizing for dragging on.

"Anyway, I have to get to practice. See you around..."

The girl walked away, limping slightly. Her heart ached as she went off. They had to hurry up and expose Kamoshida. Ryuji was already standing there, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Dammit. What the hell..." He muttered.

"Did you find someone?" She asked as she approached him.

"Is that what it looks like?"

She frowned at him.

"No need to be snippy..."

 **BANG!**

Akira jumped at Ryuji's sudden movement. He had punched the vending machine out of no where.

"All of 'em kept saying the same shit Mishima was talkin' about! Kamoshida must've told 'em something!"

He took a deep breath and looked at her.

"At this rate... it looks like we'll have to go to him directly."

Akira shuddered at the thought. Just being near Kamoshida gave her a bad feeling. Confronting him on something like this would be ten times worse.

"Isn't there anything we can do? I can't give in like this! You got any ideas?"

No way they could go to the cops. Why would any sane officer believe two teenagers claiming they go into another world and saw Kamoshida's twisted self. Nor could they just attack the ass without being caught. But maybe...

"Let's punish the king." She said.

"The king? You mean that other Kamoshida?"

"Yeah. Let's take him on in the castle?"

The blonde scratched his head.

"Is there any meaning to-"

"Ah ha! I finally found you two!"

The pair looked around them but no one seemed to be nearby.

"Was that you?" Ryuji asked, clearly confused.

Akira shook her head.

 _That voice sounds familiar..._

A black cat walked up besides her and hopped up on the table.

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you."

She stared at the cat as Ryuji's jaw dropped.

"Morgana? Is that really you?" She asked, leaning towards it.

The cat ignored the question.

"How dare you two just up and leave me the other day!"

"The cat's talkin'!?"

Ryuji stared at it in utter shock. From the look on Morgana's face, Akira was sure of the next words that would come out of its mouth.

"I am NOT a cat! This is just what I looked like when I came to this world."

"Wait you came to our world!? Does that mean you got a phone too?"

Akira facepalmed at his actions. He was getting a bit too excited by this.

"You don't need one at my level. But I did get pretty lost along the way."

 _These two are ridiculous..._

"That aside why can you talk? You're a cat!"

Akira sighed as the cat and Ryuji continued to take jabs at each other. Morgana truthfully had no idea why he could talk, but it was soon discovered only Ryuji and Akira could understand him. Bystanders only heard the cute call of a cat.

"I heard you two were having a rough time. I could tell you a thing or two about Kamoshida."

"Tell us more then!" Ryuji urged.

Akira shook her head.

"This isn't the best place to talk. There's people around."

"You're right..."

Ryuji grabbed Morgana by the back of his neck, prompting him to hiss.

"Here put him in your bag."

"Ryuji! Be more gentle with him."

Akira scooped Morgana up and petted his head.

"Normally I wouldn't allow you to treat me like this but it seems I have no other choice." The cat said.

He purred as Akira scratched its head.

"I forgot you like cats... Come on let's head to the roof."

She nodded and gentle zipped Morgana up before following Ryuji.

 **Sorry for the wait guys. I wanted to make the chapter longer but it feels as if its just dragging along. Morgana's finally here and things arw about to get juicy by next chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Have a nice day.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys. I hope you all have been enjoying the story so far. Last chapter kinda felt like it was being dragged around, so hopefully this chapter turns out better.**

Saying Ryuji was jealous was a huge understatement. He glared daggers at the cat who had taken his friend's attention away from him.

Akira smiled softly at Morgana as she held him securely in her arms. His purring as she scratched his neck only seemed to irritate the blonde boy more.

 _She should be focusing more on the crap that damn cat told us._

Only minutes ago, they came to the roof so no faculty members would look for Morgana. Unknown to Ryuji, Morgana's words continued to replay in her mind.

The power to change Kamoshida and make him repent for all his wrong-doing. They could change his heart, and no one would be able to find a trace of their interference.

The perfect plan.

 _But at what cost?_

The cost of possibly causing him to lose all his desires and lead him into a fatal demise. As bad as the man is, does he truly deserve to perish? A large part of her wanted him to be destroyed, but in the end she knew it wasn't right.

"Are you determined enough to take that risk?" Morgana asked.

Ryuji glanced at her. From the look in his eye she knew he didn't want to kill Kamoshida.

"What do you think?" He asked.

She stopped mid-scratch and pondered within her mind. Slowly, her hands dropped into her lap.

"I don't want to kill him."

A breath relief left Ryuji's lips. He was glad Akira was hesitating on this. Morgana on the other hand looked like anything but pleased. He jumped out of her lap and landed on the ground.

"Sheesh I came all this way for this? You know no one would ever find out." The cat said in exasperation.

Akira shook her head.

"No one else might never know, but I would. It's just not right..."

"Exactly! If we just snuck around doin' whatever the hell we wanted we'd be no better than 'effing Kamoshida."

The more they protested the more the feline grew annoyed.

"Pretty sure this is your only option."

"Come on! Maybe there's a better way..."

Akira wasn't so sure herself but his death wouldn't fix the abuse. Sure, it would stop but then he'd go down as an Olympian- not an asshole that abused his team. They'd never be able to prove it if he was six feet under.

"Fine. I'll give you some time to decide."

With that, the cat trailed away, leaving Ryuji and Akira on the roof alone. She stood there hesitantly as Ryuji tried to calm himself.

"Damn... I'm getting all worked up for nothing."

When Akira didn't respond, he held her shoulder briefly.

"Come on, lets get out of here."

She nodded silently and followed him down the stairs. Few students were still in the building, but it was enough for people to whisper to one another as they passed. It was beginning to piss him off.

"You go on ahead. I'll try to come up with another way." He said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah see ya."

He didn't want to shoo her away but all these rumors were beginning to get to him. He didn't give a damn about what people said about him, but the rumors about Akira were getting out of control.

People said things like she was a prostitute, Kamoshida's side bitch, a sexual assaulter, and who knows whatever else.

The ones with Kamoshida were the biggest annoyance.

He still hadn't gotten around to asking her about what Takamaki said. If Kamoshida pulled her into his clutches he'd never be able to live with himself.

"Dammit..."

Akira walked out of the school gates, making her way home. She had no plans so there was no reason to dwadle.

Well that was her intention.

As she stepped onto the subway car, Ryuji began sending her messages.

 **Ryuji: Hey. So apparently there's a bunch of rumors going around about that Suzui girl and Kamoshida. No wonder I couldn't get her to talk.**

She body went cold as she read.

 _Not her too!_

Although Akira had only spoken to the girl once, she had shown her kindness she hadn't seen in some time. She was too sweet to be involved with Kamoshida like **that**.

 **Akira: There's no way she's like that.**

 **Ryuji: Yeah. It doesn't feel right. No way Takamaki and Suzui are into that ass.**

 **Akira: What do you mean?**

 **Ryuji: I've known them since middle school and I know for a fact that he's not their type.**

 **Akira: You keep tabs on girls' type?**

 **Ryuji: That's not the point.** **But if it's not true, who started spreading it around?**

 _That was a good point._

Rumors often weren't true, but they stem from one event.

 _There's no way..._

Her thoughts halted when she heard a familiar voice.

"Will you please just give it a rest?! I told you I'm not feeling up to it today."

Up ahead was a head of blonde pigtails, angrily speaking to someone on the phone.

 _It's Takamaki._

Akira began inching closer unconsciously as the girl continued on.

"What!? That's not what you promised!"

As she came closer, the distraught on Takamaki's face grew.

"And you call yourself a teacher!? This has **nothing** do to with Shiho!" She yelled.

The person on the other line must've said something insane. Takamaki was rendered silent suddenly before staring at her phone.The blonde's eyes bore into her mobile device until she sank to the ground, wallowing and murmuring to herself.

Akira looked at her crouched figure for a while before deciding to gently approach her.

"Takamaki?"

Her head turned to face who called her. Tears were ready to fall until she realized who was in front of her. She jumped to her feet and glared at Akira.

"You were listening weren't you?"

"Yeah. You kinda were screaming into your phone after all..."

"Don't you know anything about privacy?"

Akira wanted to point out once more that she was practically broadcasting what she was saying to everyone nearby, but decided against it. Ann wanted to yell and scream, but held it in. Akira didn't deserve to be at the brunt of her anger when it was Kamoshida's fault.

After all, Kamoshida was chasing after her too.

"Sorry. I was out of line."

She wipes her eyes, steeling herself.

"It's fine but... I heard you arguing with Kamoshida."

The blonde nodded sadly. She didn't say anything but the spectacled girl already had an idea of what might be going on.

"Hey, can we talk about Kamoshida?"

"Can't you just leave me alone?!"

Akira shook her head.

"I can't. I want to make sure you're ok."

Takamaki's eyes widened. She took a hesitant step back, unsure of what she truly wanted. She had heard awful things about Akira, but everything she's seen has told her otherwise.

"Let's go to a private place to chat." Akira suggested.

She didn't answer but followed Akira nonetheless. It was better than wallowing alone in the subway station.

 _Shiho..._

The girls had walked to a nearby cafe and took seats near the back. For a while, they sat there in complete silence. No one could speak yet they had the same person was on their mind. Takamaki couldn't bear the silence anymore. She leaned forward, playing with the napkin on the table.

"I honestly don't have tell you anything. It was just an argument." She mumbled.

 _As if._

"Sounded much more serious than your typical argument. That was Kamoshida wasn't it?" Akira said.

The blonde tensed slightly. All the stress was weighing down on her mind. She was gonna go crazy if she kept it all in any longer.

Her gaze locked onto Akira.

 _I can trust her, can't I?_

Something in her mind must've agreed because within a second she spilled. She told Akira everything. Finally, Akira understood what was going on.

Kamoshida was trying to force Takamaki into a relationship in exchange for Shiho. The girl was trying to be selfless for the only person she could call a friend in the school. In fact, that call from him was an attempt to bed her. As Takamaki went on, Akira struggled to compose herself. Her nails dug into her palms.

Angry didn't even begin to describe how she felt.

Watching Takamaki struggle to hold back her sobs and tears was agonizing.

"Tell me... what should I do?"

Her words caught in her throat. Akira was powerless to help her right now.

Her mind drifted back to Morgana's offer.

 _Is that truly the only way?_

 _Maybe I should've just agreed to Morgana's plan..._

Her lack of words didn't surprise Takamaki. Instead, she dried her tears and caught her breath.

"What... am I doing? I've barely even talked to you before and here I am, dumping my problems on you." She sighed.

Akira gave her a crooked smile

"It's fine. I don't mind being a shoulder to cry on."

Her comment made Takamaki smile a bit. She takes hold of the glass of water, watching the liquid move the ice.

"You know, you're weird. Usually everyone just ignores me. Are you really as bad as the rumors say?"

"I'm bad to the bone." She replied in monotone.

Both girls perked up a bit. Sure, Akira knew it was a terrible joke, but it did help a bit.

"You don't seem so bad. I had a feeling those rumors were exagerated." Takamaki grinned.

Her heart surged as the words left Takamaki's mouth. One less person believing the insane rumors was like a godsend. The blonde could'nt see it, but Akira's legs had bounced happily a few times before settling.

"You know, you seemed lonely- like you didn't have a place to belong..."

"Not completely. Ryuji seems to accept me, but other than that yeah."

The blonde nodded, swiping her pigtail off her shoulder.

"We're the same in that regard... I guess that's why it was so easy talking to you."

Akira shrugged and took a sip of water.

"But... is there really no way for me to help Shiho?"

"Be there for her."

Takamaki nodded and sighed softly.

"I wish he'd just change his mind. Forget about me and everything..." She mumbled.

"It's possible."

Akira resisted the urge to smack herself. Why she didn't keep that to herself, she didn't know. Luckily, the blonde seemed not to take it literally.

"I wasn't asking for a serious answer, but it made me feel a little better. Thanks."

The gratitude warmed her heart as she nodded.

"I'm gonna head home but before that..."

She motioned for Akira to lean in, to which she complied.

"Be careful around Kamoshida for now. I think you might have caught his attention." She whispered.

The poor girl paled at the chilly warning. It was true that Kamoshida seemed to act different around her, but she assumed that's how he treated all girls.

"Just be careful and **don't** trust him."

Takamaki picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, picking up her cup as well. As she passed Akira, she turned to face her once more.

"Don't tell anyone about this, ok? I'll try to persuade Kamoshida... And thanks for the talk."

Once the girl nodded, Takamaki made her way to the door and disappeared into the streets of Shibuya.

 _I should start going as well._

Akira began collecting her stuff and left the restaurant as well.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

"Damn it!"

The volleyball coach slammed his fist into his desk. He had tossed his phone aside after receiving a text from Takamaki-san. The phone now had a large crack in the center. Luckily, the screen was still legible.

 **Ann: Sorry, but they suddenly asked me to fill in for an absent model for the next week. Maybe another time?**

How could she reject him?

After everything he's done.

He was the famous volleyball star.

He made Shujin a top notch school.

HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE WITH EVERYTHING HE WANTS!

It was annoying enough that Sakamoto had begun tainting **his** Kurusu-san, but the two had teamed up to investigate him.

He'd have find a way to separate her from him. But right now, Takamaki had taken over his mind.

"That blonde bitch..."

Rage coursed through his veins, but soon enough it would subside.

After all, he had sent Mishima to go fetch Suzui for him.

 _She'd be a good stand in..._

He grinned when a knock resonated in his ears.

"Come in Suzui-san."

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Sojiro didn't look pleased when she came through the door.

"You're late. Where have you been?"

"Well... the trains were delayed." She said.

Akira was pretty sure he didn't believe her due to him sighing pretty heavily afterwards.

"Just don't come crying to me when you arrested..."

She nodded.

"Oh and you aren't hanging out with any bad influences right?"

"O-of course not! I made a friend though." She said, pushing her glasses up.

 _Now I really can't bring Ryuji here..._

A smirk formed on his lips.

"Huh, they gotta be pretty strange to want to be your friend."

 _You have no idea._

She gave him a small smile.

"Be careful who you become friends. If you're not careful, they could ruin your life."

Sojiro always seemed to give her that type of advice. He meant well and that's all that matters to her.

 _Tough love_.

The older man yawned and stretched as he stood up.

"Seriously, look at the time. You should be more considerate of me. After all, I wait for you to come back."

"Sorry, I'll try to be back sooner."

He nodded and made his way to the door.

"Hey I'm leaving. Don't do anything stupid when I'm gone and try not to come back so damn late."

Akira sighed but complied.

 _Tough love indeed._

She made her way up the stairs and prepared for bed. As she sat on her bed, her hands went to work, untying her braids. Despite her fingers weaving through her dark hair, her mind was elsewhere.

Kamoshida was a serious problem, and he was forcing other people to get wrapped up into it.

Morgana's plan seemed to slowly be the best idea they had at the moment. As much as she disliked the idea of possibly killing someone, she didn't know how long Takamaki and Suzui could hold on.

From what the blonde had told her earlier, he seemed to be getting restless. It was a matter of time before something really bad happened.

Her eyes glanced at her phone.

Without thinking twice, she snatched it from its original position and dialed Ryuji's number.

As the phone rang, she realized this was the first time she had called him first. Usually, he was the forward one. The thought made her giggle and that's what Ryuji heard once her answered.

"Um...hello?"

"Oh! Hey Ryuji."

"What's up?"

As much as she wanted to tell him about what Takamaki said, she decided against it.

"I'm... I'm worried about how this'll go down."

His line went silent for a moment.

"You thinkin' about Morgana's offer?" He asked.

"...A little?"

"I don't really know about stealing desires and stuff, but Kamoshida goin' brain dead if we mess up isn't good."

"...Mhm. I don't like him, but not enough to kill him."

"Yeah, that's too much." He agreed.

Silence ensued as she struggled to think of something to say.

"Akira? You still there?"

"...Yeah."

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out ok?"

Once again, his confident tone shook her core. Even though he couldn't see her, she nodded and a smile graced her lips.

"Yeah, thanks Ryuji."

Ryuji himself grinned. Hearing her sound so grateful made him warm inside.

"Yeah no problem."

 _I can't let her down._

"Good night. See you tomorrow."

"See ya Akira."

Talking to him always seemed to calm her, despite how idiotic he can be. With her mind settled, she could allow herself to sink into a deep sleep.

When she woke, it was raining pretty bad. She should've figured it wouldn't be a good day. Breakfast and Sojiro's concerns were the same. As was the walk to Shujin.

"Good morning Kurusu-san."

 _Damn it._

As soon as she stepped into the building, Mr. Kamoshida walked up to her, a grin plastered on his face. A bunch of student looked at them and whispered.

 _Double damn it._

"G-Good morning Mr. Kamoshida." She said quietly.

"It's raining pretty bad out there huh? You take the subway here right?"

She nodded. Akira didn't trust her voice to speak well enough.

"I bet traffic gets pretty bad too. Next time, I'll give you a ride here."

Shivers went down her spine.

"Oh thank you, but you don't have to do that."

His hand reached for her shoulder and grasped in tightly.

"I don't want you to show up late when you're trying so hard to be a good student."

Students were beginning to stare and his hand was beginning to feel like an iron grip.

"Alright. Thank you Mr. Kamoshida."

He got the answer he wanted and released her shoulder. He bid her farewell and she quickly went to class. Once in her seat, she fiddled with her glasses anxiously.

The students came in one by one until it eventually filled up. Takamaki showed up as well, but she didn't say anything or even look at Akira. She just sat down and stared out the window.

As classes droned on, her gaze stayed on the rain soaked window.

Mr. Ushimaru went on with his lesson nonetheless. Akira was only listening a little.

"The National Diet is the legislative, the Cabinet is the executive, and the Supreme Court is judicary." He said.

"This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no single branch becomes too powerful." The man droned.

Akira twirled her one braid around her finger. Suddenly, she felt something shifting around in her desk. Out of nowhere, Morgana popped out.

"Have you made up your mind?" He whispered.

A panicked expression appeared on her face.

"How did you-"

"No matter how much thinking you do, there's only one option. You're better off just listening to me." The cat purred.

"Shush! Be quiet!" She mumbled.

She hadn't said it quick enough.

The teacher looked around suspciously.

"Is that a cat I hear?"

Both Morgana and Akira panic.

"Me-Meow!"

"Shut up!" She hissed.

Mr. Ushimaru eventually gave up and continued his lesson. As he turns back to the board, her phone pings in her pocket.

 _Probably Ryuji._

And she was right. He was still having trouble figuring out another way to stop Kamoshida. She didn't blame him though. After all, she couldn't think of anything else either. He really didn't want Morgana's plan and he didn't hesitate to voice his distaste.

Little did he know, said cat hissed at his texts.

"If only he knew I was reading this too..."

Akira petted Morgana, holding back a mischievous smile.

Said smile soon disappeared as another student jumped out of his chair.

"Hey... What's that!?" He yelled.

The teacher was quick to scold him, but another student joined in.

"Wait... She's going to jump!" A female student shrieked.

Murmurs broke out around the room. One by one people stood up to get a better look. Mishima stood and his face grew pale.

"Suzui..?"

At the sound if her friend's name, Takamaki jumped out of her seat and bolted out of the room. Akira didn't hesitate to follow.

The teacher attempted to keep everyone inside but it prived futile. Soon, the hallway was crowded with students gazing out the window. People called her name out and others watched in horror.

Once the girls reached the window, their stomaches clenched. Akira herself felt faint.

Before them stood Shiho Suzui.

On the edge of the rooftop.

Staring down at the ground.

Her eyes appeared empty and her body tilted forward.

Akira screamed along with many others in the hall. Her body laid crooked on the ground, unmoving. Panic and fear filled the area.

"She jumped! SHE JUMPED!"

Teachers called for their students to return to their classes but their calls fell in deaf's ears.

Especially to her blonde best friend.

Shiho falling down replayed over and over in her mind.

Roof. Air. Splat.

Roof. Air. Splat.

 **Roof. Air. SPLAT!**

She backed up slowly, her hands over her face.

"No... Why?"

Tears formed in her eyes.

"Shiho...!"

And then she ran. Right past Akira and down to the courtyard. Akira, however, was still frozen on the spot, her knees quivering under her.

 _We made the wrong choice._

She moved away from the window, her view of Shiho's battered body leaving her field of vision.

 _We should've agreed._

 _We should've listened to Morgana!_

Her thoughts were interupted by Ryuji running up to here.

"H-Hey! What's going on!?"

Her mouth refused to move, but she turned towards the window. Ryuji followed her gaze, his eye size doubling at the sight.

"Wha-What the hell!? Come on! We should head to the courtyard." He said.

Akira didn't respond. She looked as if she was in a trance. But they didn't have time to waste. Ryuji grabbed her hand and pulled her through the throng of students til they reached the overcrowed courtyard.

Ryuji pushed through the crowd til they could see.

By now an ambulance had come and Shiho was now in a stretcher. Teachers were panicking and students were recording the events transpiring around them.

 _Assholes._

Ryuji glared at them in distain.

"What the hell is wrong with these people?!"

Takamaki sat besides her best friend, worry written all over her face.

"Shiho...why...?"

The poor girl's head raised slowly at the sound of Takamaki.

"Ann..? I'm sorry. I... I can't take this... anymore..."

"Shiho...?"

Before slipping into unconsciousness, she whispered into her friend's ear.

The lights of the emergency vehicle blared to life as they took the two away. The courtyard was buzzing, but Akira's head was buzzing louder.

Guilt weighed on her mind.

Too much for her to handle.

So much that before she knew it, she and Ryuji had somehow ended up in a corridor of the school. Mishima was up against the wall.

"She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"

His confession brought her back to reality.

 _He..._

 _HE DID THIS!?_

"Wait, what!?"

Mishima spilled the truth behind Kamoshida. He'd call his volleyball members to the teacher's room and hit them whenever he was in a bad mood.

"Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been... worse than usual..."

 _Worse than usual..._

It suddenly hit her.

Kamoshida wanted Takamaki over his house yesterday.

But she said no.

 _He didn't..._

"That son of a bitch...!"

Ryuji ran as fast as his bad leg could take him.

"We better stop him before he does anything stupid." She said.

Mishima nodded and followed as Akira made her way to the PE faculty office. She was struggling to hold in her anger, but there was no way Ryuji could hold in his rage. She had to stop him before he acted out.

She slid the door open and ran in. Luckily, Ryuji hadn't done anything yet.

Kamoshida turned to them.

"Huh?"

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?" Ryuji yelled.

Disinterested, the man turned back to his work.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

He kicked a chair down angrily, which in turn irritated Kamoshida.

"What you did... wasn't coaching..!" Mishima said.

Ryuji and Akira were surprised at Mishima's words, but were proud that he was finally speaking up.

"What did you say?"

Kamoshida glared at Mishima, but the boy refused to back down.

"You... You orderrd me to call Suzui here... I can only imagine what you did to her...!"

Kamoshida spoke as her rose from his seat, his body looming over them.

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of... Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"

Akira frowned at his accusation.

"That's not what this is about!" Mishima said, raising his voice.

Kamoshida tsked, his gaze looking over all of them. He lingered on Akira a little longer, a smirk forming.

"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it ti be, hypothetically speaking... what can you do?"

Satisfied with their silence, he went on.

"We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui is in a coma, and her chances of recovery of recovery are slim... How would someone like that make a statement?"

Akira gasped and fought to hold back tears. The boy were shocked as well.

"No..! She's..." She mumbled.

His grin grew at their dismay.

"There's no chance of her getting better, I hear. The poor girl."

"No..." Mishima said.

Ryuji's hands were balled in fist, but his body shook with unbridled rage.

"You goddamn..."

"This again? Does this mean we need anothee case of self defense?"

That was it for Ryuji.

"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Akira felt the same, and watched his fist raise.

She wanted this.

She wanted him to suffer.

 _But not like this._

She reached out and grabbed his arm, hugging it against her chest. At her touch, Ryuji stopped immediately. His hard gaze stared at Akira's soft one.

"Why're you stoppin' me...!?"

She shook her head and his body relaxed.

"This isn't the way... Calm down."

She let go and his fist relaxed into open palms.

Kamoshida grinned at her, his mind processing an interesting plan.

"Oh? You stopped that brute to protect me Kurusu-san?" He smiled.

"Shut the hell up!" Ryuji yelled.

"I don't think so. You can't do anything against me."

He smile suddenky faded as he returned to his swivel chair.

"Everyone present in right now will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

"What!?"

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima said.

 _At a school like this, it seems he can..._

"Who would listen to scum like you. You threatened me, all of you, so you're just as responsible."

His face paled and he was rendered to silence. He remained silent as the asshole berated him harshly. Mishima only spoke when Kamoshida said he was the one to leak her criminal record.

His face crumbled as Akira gazed at him, her glasses reflecting the hurt expression on her face. In shame, he sank to the floor.

"He told me to do it. I had no choice..." He whispered.

Kamoshida's laughter echoed in their ears until they all left the office. Mishima apologized to Akira for what he had done, and left promptly after.

The girl didn't blame him. After all, Kamoshida was the reason he really did it.

Ryuji and Akira made their way through the relatively empty school. It was break, but surely students had left after such a scene or found shelter in their classrooms to gossip.

 _Shiho..._

Suddenly, all her thoughts crashed down on her. Her body just gave out under her.

"Akira!" Ryuji yelped.

He lunged for her, stopping her body from slamming into the ground. Her glasses clattered to the ground and her eyes glazed over. No one was around luckily so the two were alone.

Ryuji shook her shoulders madly.

"Hey! Akira!"

 _Shiho..._

 _Suicide..._

 _Expelled..._

 _Prison..._

 _Why didn't I listen to Morgana?_

 _It's my fault..._

 _It's my fault Suzui..._

"Stop saying that!"

She blinked. She didn't mean to say any of her thoughts aloud. Unconsciously, tears slowly fell from her eyes.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened." He said softly.

"But it is... We should've just done what Morgana-"

"To hell with that!"

He brought her closer to him, his eyes staring into hers.

"We can't change the past. We can only change the future!"

She remained silent.

"Maybe we should've gone along with that furball's plan but we chose not too. And even if we did, we don't know if that would've saved Suzui."

He was right.

"...Yeah."

He reached for her glasses and put them in her hand.

"Come on. We can't give up yet."

She nodded and wiped any lingering tears on her face, followed by putting her glasses back on. Ryuji stood and offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her off the ground.

"Thanks Ryuji."

He grins and scratches the back of his head.

"No problem."

"You two done yet?"

The pair looked down at Morgana.

How long he had been there, she didn't know.

"Ready to make a decision?"

Akira released Ryuji's hand and scooped Morgana up in her arms. The blonde understood what she meant.

"Let's talk somewhere else."

 **The suicide scene in the game really hit me hard. I had actually lost a friend to suicide as well due to bullying years ago but this scene made me feel the same as I did back then. Cold and guilty. That's why I chose for Akira to be very emotional and act the way she did. I hope I didn't trigger any of you but still made you feel something. I hope you all enjoyed and happy late Thanksgiving! Have a nice day.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Thanks for such kind and sweet reviews. Now on with the story.** **And sorry for the wait!**

It was decided.

They were going to venture into Kamoshida's heart. They had to do this for the sake of everyone who had to endure whatever that bastard of a man did to them.

However, Akira didn't expect Takamaki to get involved.

Well, involved this early.

"If you're going to deal with Kamoshida, let me in on it. Let me help you." The blonde said.

Akira could see the fire burning in her eyes as she spoke. The mark of Shiho's suicide attempt opened her eyes, and she no longer could sit back and appease the teacher.

"This has nothing to do with you. Don't butt your head in." Ryuji said.

"Yes it does! Shiho-"

"Don't butt in!"

The two blondes glared fiercely. Akira looked at them, and neither of the two wanted to step down. But she understood that Ann wanted to help.

"We should let her come Ryuji."

Ryuji and Morgana stared at her in shock.

"For real!?"

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Morgana yelled.

Akira nodded and turned to Ann, who too stared at her in shock.

"I know you've been doing your best to help Shiho by appeasing Kamoshida. The least we can do is show you what's going on."

Ryuji shook his head but didn't say anything. There was no way he could persuade her to change her mind now.

"Thank you Akira."

She smiled gratefully at her.

"Shall we go then?" Morgana asked.

The two nodded and Morgana hopped into her bag. The group of three left walked out of the gates.

Kamoshida frowned as he watched his two girls leave with the blonde idiot. He grinded his teeth and proceeded to snap his pencil in two.

"Damn nuisance..." He grumbled, stepping back from the window.

How can that blonde scum bag steal **both** Takamaki and Kurusu-san from him?!

He'd get them back.

Whether they liked it or not.

The man laughed to himself and went on his way toward the gym.

"They're lucky I'm in a good mood."

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Ann screamed in surprise.

"What is this place!?"

The school had suddenly transformed into a huge castle, and now both Akira and Ryuji had disappeared. Instead, a strange creature and two masked figures stood in their place.

"Calm down Takamaki-san."

She blinked and refocused on the girl with a white mask.

"Wait... Akira!? What are you wearing?! And you have to be Ryuji!"

It didn't seem like any words were calming her down. Morgana even tried, but Ann just proceeded to scream monster cat. It was pretty hilarious but Morgana looked crushed. She eventually stopped screaming once Akira lifted her mask.

"So...this has to do with Kamoshida huh?"

"Yeah." Ryuji said with a nod.

Ann turnes side to side, soaking in the bizarre surroundings.

"Ok Takamaki-san, time to leave." Akira said, clapping her hands together.

"Wha!? I thought you said I could come!"

"I did. But I also said I'd at least _show_ you what's going on."

A smirk grew on her face at the blonde's dismay.

"No way! I'm staying!"

Morgana shook his head.

"We're drawing too much attention this way." He mumbled.

Ryuji sighed and glanced at Akira.

"Guess we gotta force her out."

She nodded and the two slowly began advancing on Ann, who backed up a bit in a frenzy.

"I'm... I'm not leav- EEK!"

Ryuji had wrapped his arm around her waist, hoisting her over his right shoulder.

"Damn... You're a lot heavier than you look." He complained.

Ann huffed and flailed wildly, forcing the boy to struggle as his grip on her was getting looser. His left arm moved to keep her in place as he walked.

"Put me down right- HEY! And just where do you think you're touching?!"

"Ryuji!" Akira yelled.

"Woah! Sorry, my bad! I didn't mean to!"

The scene seemed to progressively get worse by the second. Finally, Ann disappeared from where they came. Ryuji sighed as moved back to them. Morgana looked annoyed as did Akira, but both were in said mood for a different reason.

"We better get a move on before any of the guards come." The cat warned.

"Yeah. Let's move."

The three of them ran towards the palace entrance. Suddenly, Morgana turned to face her.

"That girl's name is Ann Takamaki right?"

When she nodded, she could've sworn she saw hearts float around his head.

"Lady Ann..." He mumbled.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Nothing! I was just thinking about how the Shadows have probably noticed us by now."

"I see. We'll have to brace ourselves."

Morgana grinned and nodded.

"That's our Joker!"

Ryuji shot the cat a confused look.

"Joker? What kind of nickname is that?"

"Don't refer to it in such a lame way. It's a code name."

Ryuji still looked confused, frustrating Morgana a bit more.

"What kind of stupid Phantom Thief uses their real name!?"

 _He does have a point._

Akira herself didn't mind the code name. It was quite mysterious and somewhat alluring. Also yelling their names out in Kamoshida's palace could potentially cause some kind of reaction.

"So why is she Joker?"

"Because she's our trump card." Morgana grinned.

"Because it's hot." She teased.

Ryuji coughed, wishing his mask was long enough to cover his embarrassment. She giggled at his response. She loved teasing him.

"Now for Ryuji... let's see... How about Thug?" Morgana suggested.

"Are you picking a fight with me!?"

"How about Crook?" She said with a smile.

"No! I'll choose it myself!" He yelled.

His fist knocked against his mask.

"When it comes to a name, this mask is where it's at."

"Skull it is then." Akira said.

"Ooh! Awesome, I'm Skull."

Akira shifted her eyes over to Morgana.

"What code name should we give Morgana?"

Ryuji closed his eyes in thought for moment.

"... How about Mona?" He said.

The cat shrugged.

"If Joker thinks it's easier to call me that, I don't have a problem with it."

 _What a cute nickname!_

"Mona is fine." She said curtly.

"Then from here on out we'll regard ourselves as Joker, Skull, and Mona." Mona declared.

The two nodded im agreement. With that in mind, the three entered the castle, ready to nab Kamoshida's treasure. As they walked through the castle's corridors, they could hear the Shadows clattering and clunking by.

"Praise be to King Kamoshida! Death to all intruders!"

The group peeked out from the doorway. Down the hall were countless of Kamoshida's soldier being rallied by the bastard himself.

"The intruders from the other day were **quite** entertaining. But I can't have trash ransacking my castle. Strengthen security! Kill them on sight! I'll handsomely reward whoever brings me their heads!" He yelled.

The soldiers raised their swords.

"Praise be to King Kamoshida!"

Akira scrunched her nose in disgust, but she figured it would be like this when they returned.

"Hey, can't we just beat his ass and call it a day?" Ryuji whispered.

"If you wanna die today then go ahead. That's practically suicide Ryuji." Akira said.

"Besides, don't you want him to confess his sins? We can only get him to do that once we get his treasure to materialize. Beating him up won't help." Morgana added.

"Fiiine. Where is it?"

While Mona didn't know exactly where ot was, his idea to search the palace was good enough. The group traversed through the corridors and rooms. Mona also continued to train them in phantom thief tactics such as all-out-attacks and shadow negotiation.

Oh and she also discovered she could wield multiple Personas. Besides Arsene, she now could summon a fairy-like Persona by the name of Pixie. That ability surprised everyone, even Mona, but it would prove to be useful in the future.

As they travelled deeper and deeper into the palace, it seemed as if everything was going smoothly.

 _Maybe this time nothing will go wrong._

Little did she know at the same time, Ann was currently being hauled away by the Shadow soldiers.

She was pretty angry when she was forcibly shoved back into the real world by Akira and Ryuji. But she figured it was luck that the app she watched the two use. She repeated the same things they had and voíla, her she was.

What she didn't expect was soldiers running up to her and calling her princess.

"Hey! Where are you taking me!" She yelled.

She tried squirming out of its hold on her, but she failed.

"Hey~! Like, what are you doing?"

Ann looked up and her jaw dropped.

Before her stood Akira.

Clad in nothing but a skimpy orange and black bikini with matching cat ears and pumps.

"Princess! We found Princess Ann wandering outside the palace." The soldier responded.

"Princess!? What the hell is going on Akira?!"

The girl giggled.

"Looks like we have another intruder~. Let's hand her over to Kamoshida." She says, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"Of course!"

The soldier bowed and then set off. As the soldier lumbered down the hall, Ann glared at Akira, who was smiling cutely at her.

"Who are you?"

Ann didn't believe for a second this girl was Akira. She was too ditzy and WAY too immodest.

"I'm Akira, Pancake ass."

Ann stared dumbfounded at the girl until the door closed on her.

"What the hell is going on?" She muttered.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira sighed as she waited for Mona with Ryuji. There was a ruckus of some kind outside the safe room and he went to check it out.

The number of Shadows had dramatically increased. It was nice to finally get a moment to breath. Ryuji probably felt the same. She discreetly glanced at.

His forehead glistened with sweat. Her removed his mask for a moment and shook his head, beads of sweat trickling off him and onto the floor. He ran a hand through his hair.

She looked away bashfully. Once she looked away, Ryuji focused his gaze on her.

She was leaning against the wall, looking at her feet. Her long dark hair carressing her cheeks and shoulders. Her lashes seemed so long that he could swear he could see them through the mask. Brown eyes traveled down her body. He coughed and looked away, trying to erase his thoughts.

 _Dammit Ryuji, stop staring at her!_

"Damn... aren't there more shadows than before? It's been a pain in the ass to get this far." He said, replacing the mask on his face.

"Guess we really provoked him huh?" She shrugged.

"Do you think that cat actually has amnesia?"

 _Good question._

It was strange that a cat claimed to have lost his memory, yet have the knowledge to conduct himself like he is now in the palace.

"I believe in Mona. He has yet to steer us wrong."

"The palace and navigation app are mysterious, but Morgana's got 'em both beat." He said.

"Codenames Skull."

"Crap! Sorry! I forgot!"

Before he could blurt anything else out, Mona busted through the door breathless.

"This is bad!"

"What happened?" She asked quickly.

"Your friend... Lady Ann. She's been taken by the Shadows!"

"WHAT!?"

Akira was sure they had sent her back. How could she have managed to return on her own?

 _Did she... have the app?_

Panic shot through her body.

"Didn't we send her back!? Dammit!" The blonde grumbled.

"We need to hurry and save her. Now."

Without waiting for their reply, she raced out the door. Mona shook his head and raced after her, followed by a cursing Ryuji. It didn't take them long to find Ann.

Her voice was literally echoing down the halls. From her yells, it was obvious she was totally clueless about what was going on, but who could blame her?

She herself barely understood everything happening.

"There! She's in that room!"

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

"Enough with the bullshit Kamoshida!"

The pink room was decorated with lavish furniture and renowned potraits of Kamoshida in his glory. Candles and heart shaped decals and pillows would normally give off the feel of romance, but Ann was feeling the exact opposite. Shr was tied up against the wall and surrounded with soldiers in suits of armor. She was getting pretty frustrated and it seemed Kamoshida was just drinking it up.

Princess Ann and Akira stood by as well, draping themselves over their king.

"I can't believe you like actually thought that was Princess Ann!" The bikini wearing Akira drawled.

Kamoshida laughed and looked at his girls.

"This isn't funny!" Ann yelled, squirming in her restraints.

The pervert's brows raised.

"The girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?"

"You should like totally punish her!" Princess Ann squealed.

"Yeah totally! Talking back is like... unforgivable." Princess Akira agreed.

A malcious grin formed on his face.

"Then in that case, she should be executed."

Ann's eyes widened as one of the soldiers approached her.

"Should I tear you limb from limb or start with your clothes? Decisions, decisions." Kamoshida grinned.

"You're such a perv!" Princess Ann and Akira cooed.

They clung to his arms tighter.

"Are you kidding me..." Ann muttered.

 **BANG!**

Ryuji slammed himself against the door, allowing the group in. What they saw almost made Akira barf right there.

They were girls. In fact, they were all the female players on the girls's volleyball team. They were moaning and crying for Kamoshida.

 _Disgusting..._

They laid out of the floor, flaunting their skin. Begging for more and more as their poses became more and more indecent.

"Oh my God..."

"This is seriously effed up..."

Anger boiled up inside her.

"Is this what this asshole thinks of the girls on his team!? Just dolls that he can do whatever the hell he wants to!"

Obviously that was exactly what he thought. It was truly sickening.

"Hey isn't that-" Mona began.

"Look! Takamaki!"

Ryuji was right. In the corner of the room, Ann was tied up and looked just about ready to be impaled with a sword.

"Takamaki-san!" Akira called.

Kamoshida turned and frowned.

"Great, just when I was starting to enjoy myself."

Ann sighed in relief to see them, but she knew she was far from being ok.

"What's with this guy!?"

Ann didn't get an answer, but each group stared down the other.

"Why the hell did you lot have to come back?" He grunted.

He turned away and faced Ann.

"You came too, so that means you're probably pissed at me too. But it's your fault that... What was her name? I forget. But it's your fault she jumped."

Ann's blood went cold.

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself on me, I had her take your place."

"You bastard!" She screamed.

She could only imagine how much pain Shiho had been forced to go through. Just imagining it made her heart ache. She closed her eyes and balled her fists.

"Get away from her!" Akira yelled.

She began inching forward, only for the guards to bring their blades closer to Ann.

"No!"

"Take another step and I'll cut her down right here!" Kamoshida threatened.

"Dammit..." Mona mumbled.

They three stepped back a bit.

"Yes...Good. Now just sit back and watch the dismantle show."

"No! Don't!" Ann pleaded.

Her pleads fell on deaf's ears. The soldier paid her no mind as her drew closer.

"Wh-what are we gonna do!?" Ryuji whispered.

Truth be told, Akira didn't have a clear answer. They couldn't get close enough with alerting Kamoshida or his guards. She couldn't give up but she couldn't see any options.

"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho...?"

The dark haired girl's eyes widen. Was Ann really giving herself up? The despair on her face was evident.

"Shiho... I'm so sorry..."

She was blaming herself.

When Shiho jumped, Ann had felt she had lost everything. There was no one left for her at Shujin, so why bother? She hated that school.

The only person she cared for tried to kill herself all because she was too selfish.

If she had just had sex with Kamoshida, Shiho would be...

 _Shiho would be...!_

"Don't say that! Don't give up!"

 _Huh?_

Akira stared at Ann.

"Don't listen to this bastard! Even if you had done everything he had said, there's no way he would've kept his word!"

Her words rendered Ann silent for a moment.

"We can't change the past! We can only change the future!"

Kamoshida yawned and rolled his eyes.

She was right.

"You're right. Letting this piece of shit toy with me... What was I thinking..?"

At this point, Kamoshida had enough of this cliché rom-com moment.

"It's like I always say. Slaves should just behave and-"

"Shut. Up. I've had enough of this."

Akira grinned as she saw resolve grow in Ann's eyes.

"You've pissed me off you son of a bitch!"

 **My... It's taken far too long.**

Suddenly, Ann begins swaying side to side, her eyes dulling as if dazed.

 **Tell me... Who is going to avenge her if you don't?**

Sweat quickly began forming on her face, dripping and soaking the rest of her body. She most likely would be thrashing about if not for the restraints holding her.

 **Forgiving him was never the option...**

She grunts in pain then it elevates to screams.

 **Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within...**

The rest of them watched silently, knowing fully well what was about to come forth. Saliva dripped from her lips and trailed down her chin. Sensations of pain rocked her body.

 **I am thou, thou art I...**

With one final scream, her body relaxed and laid limp. Her breathing racked het body.

 **We can finally forge a contract...**

"I hear you... Carmen." She whispered softly.

Her hand shot up, a red cat mask covering her face.

"You're right! No more holding back!"

 **There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself.**

Panic grew on Kamoshida's face as Ann broke free, one by one. He began backing away in fear once she was free and back on the ground. Ann's hand gripped the top half of her mask.

 **Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength.**

With one move, blood spurted from her face and her mask was gone. Blue light brightened the room. Once it died down, before them stood Ann clad in a skin tight red latex catsuit worn with a cleavage cutout, zippers, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots and a tail. Behind her was a rather tall pink woman in a gorgeous black and red dress, stepping on heart faced men, and smoking.

 _Things are about to get interesting..._

She ran forward in a flash, knocking down a soldier and stealing its sword, only to cut down Princess Ann, who faded in black ash.

"Ahhh!" Princess Akira screamed.

She fled the room, leaving Kamoshida to face the sword alone.

"You know, I'm not some cheap toy you can play with scum bag." She said.

The golden guard stepped in front of shaking Kamoshida.

"B-Bitch!" He yelled feebly.

You stole everything from Shiho! You destroyed her! Now it's your turn!"

She dropped the sword and walked towards him, Akira, Ryuji, and Mona ready to back her up.

"I will rob you of everything!"

Kamoshida shrunk back as the guards moved forward.

"How dare you?! Enough of this!"

The shadows sprung forward, ready for battle.

"Let's get them Carmen!"

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

"I wish you had killed Kamoshida's version of me too." Akira sighed.

Ann laughed nervously.

"Sorry, I was so focused on destroying him that it slipped my mind."

The girls waited for Ryuji to return with drinks. They had just escaped the castle after battle. With Ann's help and Akira's new Persona Pyro Jack, the battle had gone well.

Unfortunately, Kamoshida's bitch ass ran for his life and Ann was exhausted after gaining her Persona.

"It's fine. I hope I get to destroy that thing."

"Me too, she called me pancake ass!"

"Seriously?"

"Well your outfit makes you look so good. Red looks good on you." Akira grinned.

"It also has a tail. If anything, your outfit looks amazing on you. You look so slim and-"

"Ahem.."

Morgana cleared his throat from her bag, making the two giggle a bit. He was a bit uncomfortable with the conversation topic.

"Sorry Morgana." Akira said, petting the cat's head.

Before he could complain, Ryuji returned with drinks. At first, they were silent, enjoying the peace and their drinks. It was Morgana who broke the ice.

"Have you calmed down Lady Ann?"

"Morgana... right? I really am talking to a cat. This feels strange..."

Morgana's shoulders sank slightly.

"Oh sorry! You're not a cat right?"

"Yes, but it's only natural you're confused."

"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened..."

Akira didn't blame her skepticism. It was far from normal to be doing this in their free time. Her life was supposed to be boring and normal, not these video game like scenarios.

"As hard as it is to believe, it happened." She said, pushing her glasses up her face.

"It's the will of your rebellion Lady Ann, and with it you can fight in that world."

Ryuji choked and spat out his drink.

"Ryuji!" The girls chided.

"Wait! We're taking her with us!?"

Ann looked offended by his question.

"Of course! I want to make him pay for what he did to Shiho. And you saw me fight in there, so I won't hold you back."

"She also has the app so if we didn't include her she'd probably go in alone." Akira added.

"Right..."

"She'll do great Ryuji. Welcome to the team Takamaki-san." Akira grinned.

"Rrgh... Fine." Ryuji grunted.

"Then it's decided. I hope we get along."

"Me too."

Ann smiled as she looked then over.

 _I won't let him make anyone else suffer._

"Oh that reminds me, Akira, you can just call me Ann. You too Ryuji."

 _FRIENDSHIP!_

"Alright. Should we exchange numbers?" Akira asked, trying to keep her excitement in.

"Yeah and Chat ID too."

The three pulled out their phones, exchanging info with each other. From there, they all went their separate ways. As Morgana and Akira went back to the cafe, the feline had declared his love for Ann, promising to become a human for her. However, the girl was too excited to really listen. It was always a good feeling to gain a new friend but it felt extremely good today.

Perhaps she was finally regaining some semblance of her old life when she wasn't a social pariah.

In fact, she was so happy that she had forgotten that Morgana was currently a cat and she was taking it to restaurant. It wasn't until she was outside the door when the consequences flooded her mind.

 _I guess I'll just have to hide him._

She stuffed Morgana into her bag and entered the store. She blinked at the only customer in the room. Some punk looking woman occupied one of the booths.

She must've have noticed Akira staring because she too stared back.

"Hey don't bug the customers." Sojiro scolded.

"Sorry."

"It's fine." The woman responded.

She left soon after she finished her coffee. Apparently she was doctor who ran a nearby clinic, but there were some nasty rumors going around about her. She felt bad for the woman, as did Sojiro, but she had bigger matters to attend to. Akira quickly said good night to Sojiro and ran up the stairs. The man stared at her. He could've sworn he heard a meow.

His parental instincts went off.

 _She's hiding something._

And sure enough when he went up the stairs, a black and white tuxedo cat was standing on her bed. It was purring like crazy.

"I was wondering why I heard meowing. Why did you bring it here!?"

 _He sounds mad._

Akira racked her mind for some kind of excuse.

"He didn't have anywhere else to go..." She mumbled.

He sighed and glanced at the cat. It was looking at him as well. Both the cat and Akira were giving him pleading looks.

"Look, this is a restaurant. Animals are a no go..."

The pleading looks on their face grew. Sojiro sighed in defeat.

"...But I guess you might be on good behavior if you had a pet to take care of."

Akira smiled.

"Of course. I'll take good care of him!"

"Fine, but keep it quiet during the day and don't let it roam or I'll toss it out."

She nodded.

After declaring he wouldn't take care of Morgana, he descended down the stairs.

"He's pretty understanding for someone who keeps you in this dump." Morgana said as he stretched on the bed.

She gave him a look.

"Stop calling my room a dump."

But Morgana was right about Sojiro being understanding. He was a bit prickly at first but she could tell underneath all that, he was a good guy and a nice man to be around.

Eventually, Sojiro returned with food for Morgana but then left sulking a bit when he discovered Akira had already 'named' the cat.

Once gone, Morgana began detailing Alira about his past. The poor guy didn't remember his birth or anything. He said its possible his original form and memories were distorted within the Metaverse.

"So is your true form human?" She asked as she untied her braids.

"It has to be! Why else would a cat be able to speak like this? There's no other explanation."

He went saying that was why he was in the castle, he had to purge the distortion to regain his true. Morgana soon began eating the food left for him by Sojiro. As Akira went to wash the dish, he promised he'd give her intel on infiltration tools.

It was a nice trade, but truth be told, Akira would've taken him home despite not getting anything in return.

She really did love cats after all.

"It's a deal then. I expect great things from you Joker."

She raised a brow at him.

"I thought we only used our codenames in the Metaverse."

"Yes but I expect both you and Joker will acomplish great things."

She smiled and picked him up off the bed and turned off the light. Tossing her blanket aside, she slid into bed.

"Hey! What are you-"

She snuggles into Morgana's fur, sighing in content.

"You get to sleep with me tonight."

Morgana mumbles some complaints, but by the time Akira took her glasses off and pulled the covers over them, he went silent.

"Good night Morgana."

"Night Akira."

The night grew silent.

 **Pi-Pi-Pi-Pi!**

Her one eye openned.

 _I swear if it's Ryuji._

Her hand reached for her phone.

 _It's Ann._

 **Ann: Thanks for everything today. You saved me and I didn't even thank you properly.**

 **Akira: Ryuji helped too. But you also saved yourself too.**

 **Ann: I thanked him a moment ago. Anyways, its thanks to you I snapped out of it. I wanted to let you know.**

Akira smiled at the text.

It was sweet of Ann to do that.

 _It's just like back then..._

Her first day Ann had been kind to her too.

 **Akira: It's no problem.**

 **Ann: See you tomorrow.**

 **Akira: Yeah see you.**

The dark haired girl smiled as she drifted to sleep happily.

The rest of the night was uneventful. As was the morning.

Or so she thought.

At the end of history, Ms. Kawakami walked up to her as she was preparing for her books.

"Kurusu-san, are you busy?"

Morgana shuffles in her desk slightly.

"No, is something the matter?" Akira asked.

A suspicious look formed on the short haired teacher.

"Good. Mr. Kamoshida is looking for you. You need to report to his office."

Akira shoulders tensed as she nodded. If she rejected going, Ms. Kawakami surely would've suspected something was amiss. Swallowing her fear, she left her class and made her way to his office.

She stood outside his door for a moment, her hand frozen on the door handle.

 _Don't be scared. Open the door._

Taking a deep breath, she slid the door open and tentatively stepped inside.

"Mr. Kamoshida?" She called softly.

Walking further in, she realized no one was in the office. He must've stepped out.

"Oh there you are Kurusu-chan! I was beginning to get worried."

Akira jumped as she heard his booming voice. A large cheesy smile was plastered on his face as he slid the door shut.

She had no way out now.

"I'm sorry, but Ms. Kawakami told me you needed to speak with me."

Akira stared at her feet, trying to stop her hands from shaking. She was alone with this scum bag who could potentially destroy her at any moment. She internally wished she'd brought Morgana with her.

"Yes that's true."

His face became filled with remorse.

"I'm afraid you saw the worse in me the other day and I'd like to apologize. I often don't lose my temper like that."

 _Sure you don't..._

"So I'm offering to remove the punishment I enstilled on you, Mishima, and Sakamoto..."

She blinked in surprise.

The fact he'd even consider such an idea was almost a shock.

 _Is he really going to?_

As she was lost in thought, he moved closer to her.

So close that she could feel his body heat radiating onto her back. His arm slung over her shoulders, pulling her into his chest.

"For a price." He grinned

"What do you-"

Her mouth clamped shut as his hand slid up her leg. She froze as his fingers travelled up.

 _Move._

 _Move!_

 _MOVE!_

"Wha-What are you doing?!"

His grip on her tightened across her chest as she began squirming. He leaned his head besides her ear.

"How about it Kurusu-san? I won't report you and your friends, and we have some _fun_ together. Sounds like a good deal?" He whispered.

His mouth moved to the corner of her ear, nibbling it a bit. His other hand glided up past her thighs and onto her hips. Her knees quivered as his lips moved down her neck.

"Please...stop..."

 _Get off me!_

 _Leave me alone!_

His hands go up underneath her skirt, caressing her hips as she whimpers.

"I'll give you til the day before the board meeting to decide." He whispers.

Kamoshida chuckles and releases her. Once his arms leave her body, she frantically flees the room.

"Let's see you get out of this one."

 **Well that's it for now. Again sorry for the delay. This story is not abandoned, I just got really busy. Now to address a comment.**

 **Yes, I plan to make Akechi a love rival. It'll be Ryuji and Akechi fighting for Akira's heart.** **And it's up to you guys if you want me to change the interactions with Yusuke. Tell me in the reviews if you wanna see it shaken up.**

 **Thanks for reading! Have a nice day.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the great feedback on the last chapter. Your reactions in the comments are priceless and really make my day. This is a fast update compared to usual updates because I felt bad for ditching you guys on a cliff. Now shall we continue?**

Ryuji wasn't a stranger to skipping classes. Heck, he did it almost all the time.

But he wasn't used to looking for someone as he did skip.

Alarm bells went off when Ann texted him that Akira hadn't returned to class or answered any of her texts.

 **Ryuji: Akira!**

 **Ryuji: Hello?**

 **Ryuji: Answer me!**

 _Why the hell isn't she answering?_

He wandered the halls, searching for any trace of her. The sound of faint coughing and sniffling caught his attention however.

 _From the girl's bathroom?_

Tentatively, he made his way to the door and stopped. Pushing the door slightly open, he called her name through the crack.

"Akira?"

As if on cue, the sounds earlier had stopped.

"Akira, I know that's you." He said.

No response from inside.

 **Pi-Pi-Pi!**

 **Akira: Leave me alone Ryuji.**

His brow raised at the text.

 _Why would she respond by text?_

"Why won't you talk to me?"

 **Pi-Pi-Pi!**

 **Akira: Please just go away.**

A sob followed by another erupted from the bathroom. Ryuji gritted his teeth, his hand tightening around his phone.

 _To hell with it._

He walked straight into the bathroom. He automatically saw two feet poking out from the bottom of the stall that was slightly open.

"Akira what's-"

His eyes widened once she came into full view. She appeared paler than normal and visibly shaken. Sitting on the bathroom floor, her glasses and phone laid on the ground besides the toilet. Her face had tear streaks and her eyes were red.

It seemed she had lost most of her breakfast as well.

"I though I told you to leave me alone..." She whispered.

Her arms crossed over her chest, hugging her shoulders tightly. She turned away from the blonde. Ryuji knelt down besides her. His hand reached for her shoulder.

"What happened?"

She flinched as his hand touched her.

"...Nothing."

"Bullshit. What happened?"

She pushed his hand away, never once making eye contact with him.

"...I said nothing. Get out before you get in trouble."

He growls and clenches his fist. He reaches out and grabs both of her shoulders, turning her to him.

"Bullshit! You're ly-"

 **SLAP!**

A red mark burns into Ryuji's face.

Tears pour down her face. She looks at her hand.

 _I..._

 _I actually hit him..._

Her hands cover her mouth.

"I'm... I'm..." She starts.

He pulls her into his chest without hesitating.

"It's ok."

Everything she had been holding back just burst out. All the tears and sobs rushed out of her. Her heavy sobbing shook her body heavily. Normally, Ryuji would've joked and complained about being slapped.

But now wasn't the time to do that.

Between her sobs, she told him exactly what happened.

His grip on her tightened as she retold the story. Soon he realized that if he let go of her, nothing could stop him from blindly going to beat down that asshole.

He couldn't even imagine how terrified Akira must've been.

He rubbed her back as her body shook against him. After a while, her breathing steadied and the sobbing ceased.

"I'm sorry Akira. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

She shuffled a bit in his arms.

"There's nothing you could've done. All we can do is work to change his heart..."

She trembled a bit, reminding herself as she spoke.

"No matter how hard reality gets."

Ryuji grunted angrily at how she was accepting this.

"Kamoshida is gonna pay for this..."

"Don't do anything stupid Ryuji." She scolded.

"Gah! Stop nagging me!"

She giggled a bit, a smile forming on her face. Seeing her perk up a bit certainly brightened his own mood. Akira sat up and pulled away from Ryuji. She seemed to be much calmer and stable than before.

"You wanna go back to class now?" Ryuji asked.

"No, not really. I don't think I have the guts to face anyone right now."

 _Understandable._

"Then let's just head up to the hideout. I'll text Ann the details." He suggested.

"Ok, just give me a minute."

The blonde nodded and quickly left the bathroom as stealthily as humanly possible. Once gone, Akira walked slowly to the bathroom mirror. She ran the water, soaking her face with its cold water.

She closed her eyes.

The actions of Kamoshida and herself replayed inside her mind. Her grip on the sink tightened.

 _Dammit..._

If he had really wanted to, he could've ravished her right there and nobody would've ever known.

And that scared her.

She took a deep breath and dried her cheeks.

 _There's no way it'll come to that._

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

The bell rang and Akira didn't return to class.

Ann was worried but Ryuji had texted her during class. After meeting with Kamoshida, she felt sick and didn't return.

After that, her concern increased.

Kamoshida called her out and she didn't want to come back to class.

 _That asshole did something..._

The girl picked up Akira's bag from her desk and made her way to the hideout. She'd get answers soon enough.

 _'Oh my gosh! Are you serious!?'_

 _'Of course I am!'_

Ann turned to a group of girls by the stairs.

 _'Are you sure it was her?'_

 _'Yes! Everyone knows what the transfer student looks like.'_

 _Are they talking about Akira?_

The girls had yet to notice the blonde standing in earshot of them.

 _'She went into his office during class and apparently you could hear the moans through the door. It was so loud you could hear it from the girl's bathroom!'_

 _'What a skank!'_

 _'I know right!?'_

 _'Is Mr. Kamoshida cheating on Takamaki-san with the transfer student!?'_

Anger bubbled up inside her. Before she could say anything, one of the girls spotted her.

 _'H-hey! Quiet down.'_

She pointed at Ann and the rest fell silent once they understood. The group dissapated but whispers could be heard all around her.

"Did Kamoshida actually do something to Akira or is this a baseless rumor?" Morgana whispered, poking his little head outside the bag.

"I don't know... But we're about to find out."

Climbing up the stairs, the girl reached the roof in no time. Ryuji and Akira were both there already, seated at a small table in the corner. With everyone present, Ryuji immediately began.

"Ok, let's head in now!"

Morgana shakes his head.

"We can't head in so early."

"Why not?" He frowned.

"We have to prepare ourselves before going in. We don't want to get caught in a bad situation without proper equipment."

"He's right. The palace is dangerous and we need to be careful. One misstep and that's it." Akira nodded.

As the planning continued, Ann watched her friend carefully.

She didn't notice anything too off. She seemed to be her normal self.

"So how exactly do we plan for this?" She asked.

"Good question Lady Ann! First, we need to obtain better weapons and equipment. Then, we're going to need medicine to stop fatique."

Ryuji snapped his fingers.

"Weapons? I know a kick-ass place for that!"

"Well that covers one of the two. What about medicine?" Ann said.

"Just leave that to Akira and I. We have business in Yongen." The cat grinned.

Akira gave him a questioning look, but didn't say anything. She just was going to have to trust him on it.

Their meeting ended soon after that and the group left one by one.

On the way out, Ann stopped Ryuji.

"Huh? What's up Ann?"

"What happened to Akira?"

He blanked for a moment, trying to think of a good excuse. Ann went on before he could blurt out something dumb.

"When I was heading out of class, I heard a new rumor about a _certain_ transfer student."

Ryuji bristled at the tone in her voice.

"What hell did they say?"

"Apparently someone saw Akira go into Kamoshida's office and said they were having sex."

"That's such bullshit! If anything he was forcing himself on her. To hell with that!"

Her eyes widened.

Ryuji cursed at himself for telling her.

"Wait... Kamoshida... he-"

"No. He didn't go that far."

She sighed in relief.

"But he did force himself on her."

"What exactly did he do?"

Ryuji shook his head furiously.

"Listen, I shouldn't be talkin' about this you know. Just ask her yourself."

He walked off before she could tell him off.

Honestly, she should've just asked her. They were friends now. They could talk and share stuff like this with each other.

And yet her she was, asking someone else for information about her.

 _I'll just text her later._

With that thought it mind, she left the school alone and headed for the subway.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira wasn't so sure of this plan anymore.

After leaving the others, Morgana made her head to the nearby Clinic. It was run by the punk woman she had seen at the cafe and this was their best chance to get some healing supplies for their adventures in the palace. According to Sojiro and people around town, there rumors of her having some kind of miracle medication and that she was some kind a medical witch. Either way, they needed her for their operations.

So of course they'd have to lie to the woman to get what they needed.

Upon entering, she had told the dark haired woman she was feeling lethargic, and then had been admitted into the examination room. She made up a few symptoms and the woman summed it up to be due to stress.

Very lucky.

She offered pain relievers, only to turn around and say sleep is the best medicine.

 _You're only saying that because you forgot to restock..._

"We need painkillers. Ask her for that." Morgana whispered.

"I can't just ask a doctor to give me painkillers for no reason!" She whispered back.

"What was that?" The languid doctor asked.

"N-nothing!"

"Do you prefer a sweet tasting pill or a bitter tasting one?"

"I'll take the swe-"

Her bag shuffled next to her.

"I mean... I want painkillers."

Her words are met with silence. She uncrossed her legs and stared at Akira.

"Alright, why don't we stop beating around the bush."

The dark haired girl remains silent. There was no way she'd be able to get out of this.

 _She's on to us._

 _Damn it.._

"You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look."

"You don't look dumb at all! In fact, you look amazing."

Her cheeks burned as she internally screamed at herself for saying that. The however woman chuckled at her comment.

"...I guess you're here because you heard the rumors about me, right?"

"Are the rumors true?"

The woman shrugged nonchalantly.

"Who's to say? But as a result, all the patients I get have ulterior motives now."

Her comment saddened Akira. She seemed like a relatively nice woman. Her small shop was suffering now because of the rumors.

In a way, she's another outcast just like herself.

The woman must've seen the look on her face because she spoke again, a small grin forming on her face.

"I guess highschool kids have it tough nowadays too."

 _You have no idea._

She nodded silently as the doctor scribbled something down on her pad.

"Well, fine. I'll prescribe you some medication."

"Really?" Akira said in surprise.

"But only medicine that will help you recover your health."

"Thank you."

She stood and rummaged around the cabinets. Akira watched her silently.

"Um... what made you change your mind? Do you always give medicine out like this?"

The doctor stopped and pondered for a moment.

"You look pretty earnest and you don't look like you'll be any trouble." She said.

She went on to explain all the meds she has were made by herself due to it being her private practice. She had her own license and everything.

It was actually pretty impressive.

By the end of her visit, she left with several types of medication for herself and the others.

She had asked what the medicine was going to be used for, but when Akira didn't answer, she brushed it off stating if she didn't get in trouble, it wasn't her problem.

When she walked out of the examination, she was surprised to see a man in the lobby. He paid her no mind as she moved slightly. He walked straight into the room with no reservation whatsoever.

"What'z the reason fir your visit? Whatever it is, you need to take a number and wait." She heard the doctor ask.

She jumped when she heard the man yell.

"You're the only one who could've developed that kind of medicine."

 _That kind of medicine?_

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

The man continued to push the doctor about some kind of medication, to which she continued to deny.

"You're a disgrace to the medical community."

As much as Akira wanted to barge in and tell the man off, she knew better. She fled the Clinic once she heard him coming back.

 _What is the doctor hiding?_

"Sounds like they were talking about something dangerous." Morgana said.

"It sounds pretty sketchy." She responded.

"Perhaps but it could be useful."

She nodded in agreement. Something that strong would be quite useful in the palace.

 **Pi-Pi-Pi!**

She pulled out her phone and slowly walked as she read the messages.

 **Ryuji: There's a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns. I'd be glad to take ya there.**

 **Akira: Sounds like a plan.**

 **Ryuji: Sweet. You know where the Shibuya station is?** **Let's meet there.**

 **Akira: Ok.**

 **Ann: Hey I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check it out for me?**

 **Ryuji: You can't make it?**

 **Ann: Not tomorrow. I made to go visit Shiho.**

 **Akira: It's fine Ann.**

 **Ryuji: Don't worry, we got this.**

 **Akira: See you tomorrow then Ryuji.**

 **Ryuji: Seeya Akira!**

Morgana grinned.

"We might be able to find some decent stuff there if they have nice model guns."

"Yeah. For now, let's head back to Leblanc."

The cat nodded and the two made their way back home. The rest of the night passed relatively fast, although she felt a strange weight on her body as she slept.

 _Is this the threat of Kamoshida weighing down on me?_

She tried to ignore all thoughts of him out of her mind, but of course it didn't work.

What she didn't expect was a phone call. Without her glasses on, the name looked a little blurry, but she picked up nonetheless.

"Hello?" She said, groggily rubbing her eyes.

"Hey Akira, it's Ann. Sorry, did I wake you?"

She blinked for a moment, trying to register what was going on.

"Oh hey Ann. I wouldn't say you woke me up."

Sitting up, she brought her legs towards her chest.

"What's up?"

"Oh nothing really! I just wanted to talk to you about something." The blonde responded.

"Alright, go ahead."

Akira waited for the question, but Ann didn't respond. She looked at her phone to make sure she hadn't accidentally dropped the call. She hadn't and yet Ann wasn't making a sound.

"Um...Hello? Ann?"

"Yes? Sorry, I'm not sure how to talk about this."

Akira chuckled. She was used to Ann being somewhat bold so this was a fresh perspective.

"Well whatever it is. You can just go ahead and say it. I won't mind."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Mmhm."

"Alright..."

Ann hesitated again but eventually got it out.

"Have you heard the latest rumor?"

This time it was Akira who fell silent.

"...No."

"It's about you...and Kamoshida. People think you two had sex during class today."

"What?"

"Apparently, someone saw you head into his office and then heard moaning."

Sweat trickled down her face. There was no way she had moaned when he groped her. Maybe whimpering and possibly gasping, but that was it.

"I know it's not true, but I gotta ask... Are you ok?"

Ann waited for her response. Akira was being pretty quiet now and it was scaring her.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up._

"If I'm being totally honest... I'm really not." Akira said with a small voice.

Ann's heart cracked a bit from the sound of her voice.

"What happened?"

"He...He offered me a deal."

"What?"

Akira told her what had happened, and for the second time that day, she re-lived her encounter with that man.

There was a moment of silence afterwards. It wasn't awkward or comfortable. Just silence.

"I can't believe he did that during the day..."

Ann didn't know what to say at that point.

"Yeah..."

"Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him soon enough."

For some reason, there was a lot of conviction in her tone.

Or perhaps pure hatred.

"I know he will Ann."

Morgana shuddered in the bed besides her, but Akira didn't seem to notice. The conversation with Ann died soon after and they bid each other farewell.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to sleep after explaining what happened. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Kamoshida's silhouette looming over her.

She could feel his fingers tracing over her body and she hated it. Her grip on Morgana tightened as her fear grew.

Morgana would've voiced his displeasure at being held, especially this tight, but he swallowed his pride.

 _She's had enough trouble for one night..._

He only sighed and went to sleep, hoping Akira would find solace in sleep some time soon.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

She glad that the sun had finally raised and she could go out and about. Her sleep was rougher than normal, but the day seemed promising so she got up and got ready for the day.

Morgana looked away as she dressed.

"So we're meeting Ryuji at the station right?"

"Yeah, the Shibuya Station." She said.

She took a seat on the bed, placing her glasses onto her face. Morgana watched her carefully as she braided her hair.

He couldn't detect any traces of distress from her facial features.

"What's wrong Morgana?"

"Nothing. I'm just making sure you're ready for the day and don't forget anything."

She smiled and scratched his head.

"Good boy!"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of pet!"

His complaining made her laugh.

"Alright alright. Now get in the bag."

With a few more mumbled complaints, Morgana climbed into her bag. And with that, she she waved at Sojiro as she left towards the station.

Meanwhile, Ryuji waited outside the station, tapping his foot impatiently. It was his first time seeing Akira in street clothes and was feeling a bit excited.

He wore his usual stuff. Jeans, a simple shirt, and a purple hoodie.

He was ready to text her to ask where she was when he saw her. When she realized his eyes were on her, she waved with a smile and walked toward him.

Time seemed to slow down.

Her braids flew in the wind as she walked. Her denim pencil skirt complimented her dark brown jacket and nice white shirt. Black tights hugged her slim legs and her dainty feet had white sneakers atop them.

"Akira, I think Ryuji is dead." Morgana said, poking out of her brown shoulder bag.

 _Indeed he is._

Akira waved her hand in front of his eyes. He jumped slightly.

"The hell?!"

"Are you ok? You seem out of it." She asked.

Concern clouded her eyes. Ryuji shook his head.

"Nah, I was just thinking about something."

"Ryuji thinking? That's weird." Morgana teased.

"Shut it cat!" He snapped back.

"Now now you two. Let's just start going to the shop." Akira said.

"Ok, follow me."

With a nod, Akira followed her friend through the throngs of people, leading her to an alley way. Ryuji stopped in front of a store in the back. There was bags of garbage and bikes surrounding it.

"This is the place. Pretty legit, huh?"

She could feel her nose twitch at the scent.

 _Why would anyone want to put a store here?_

Walking in, the place looked quite impressive. There were so many guns and military-like supplies pilled up in such a small space. The guy at the cash register looked as if he could've been part of the military too.

He was a rather large and surly-looking individual with a stubble dotting his jaw. Gray hair, pierced ear, and some kind of scar sealed the deal. He read a magazine and didn't seem to care they were there until Akira asked him for recommendations.

His eyes looked over her, suspicion growing in him.

"... You lookin' for recommendations?" He asked.

She nodded.

"... I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you." He said dismissively.

For some reason, his tone kinda pissed her off.

It seemed Ryuji agreed from the look on his face.

"Ugh, some customer service..."

The man groaned and closed his magazine.

"Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"

Ryuji looked confused as he tried to process the words spoken to him.

"Dude, why're you talkin' about cars now!?"

Akira shook her head at him, and the man too seemed irritated.

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around."

"I'm not a freakin' casual! I bought shit from here like, last week!" Ryuji snapped.

Akira giggled and the man's eyes snapped towards her.

"Huh, can't remember you."

 _Oof, that was harsh._

She stifled her laughter at Ryuji's dismay.

"So what about you Missy? Lookin' for sonethin'?" He asked.

"Something that looks real."

That response intrigued him.

"Oh? You a collector? Heh, you're much more interesting than your boyfriend here." He smirked.

"Sh-Shut it! We're not together." He said.

"We-We're not a couple!" She said.

He shook his head.

"Anyways... you shoulda told me you're enthusiasts. I'm always up for helpin' fresh faces."

"Thank you-" She began.

"But first, precautions." He said, cutting her off.

"Don't go pointing 'em at other people. Keep 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. And don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em."

 _Fair enough._

"We'll be careful." She promised.

He didn't look convinced.

"You damn well better be." He growled.

He went on to show Akira several models, pointing out similarities and differences between the models and real guns. Truth be told, it was fascinating to her. She practically was begging the manager to show her more, but he said if she had the guts in the future she could count on seeing the real good stuff.

 _Whatever that means._

The man actually seemed sorta decent.

 _Kinda good looking too..._

With Ryuji's help and their travels in Kamoshida's palace, she had a decent amount of yen to purchase some nice stuff.

Once done, she promised the manager she'd return to buy more and proceeded to leave with Ryuji.

He shrugged as the two left his shop. He kicked his feet up and thought to himself. He didn't give a damn about the blonde. He seemed like the usual rebellious shits all teenagers were.

 _The girl though..._

He chuckled to himself.

 _She's interesting..._

 **Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Before I finish though, I need to address some comments.**

 **I didn't think I'd have to explain this but I have to fix misunderstandings before it blows out of porportion. In the first chapter of this story, I stated I'm not a feminist. I'm female for those of you who don't know but this is true. To an extent. I support the idea that everyone should be equal, meaning I support both males and females being equal. This is where it gets complicated. I HATE, with a burning passion, labels of any kind. I think they're terrible and try my best to not use them. I think people are just people not matter what and that's all we need. We don't need gender labels, ethnicity label, nationality labels, etc. So when people ask me, do you support a certain topic I'll say yes or no, depending on what it is, but if you ask me are you *insert label here* I'll say no. Yes, I'm super extra about stuff like that and that's not going to change. But I am so sorry that I didn't clearly explain my thoughts. When I wrote I'm not a feminist or anything, I meant I wasn't writing this for the sake of women power. I stated why I wanted to write this** **and that was my sole reasoning.**

 **I'm sorry if that bugged or concerned any of you. I don't want people to start fighting in the reviews. I will be fixing that shortly after this chapter is posted. We all love Persona 5, so let's all be cool and have fun.**

 **And if you never noticed, then that's cool as well.**

 **Have a nice day.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I'm glad you all are enjoying the story. Your comments really make my day so it means a lot when you take the time and review. I will address some comments at the end as always. From this point on, things will start picking up speed. On with the story.**

 _What a time to get home..._

Akira walked into a customer bad mouthing Leblanc right to Sojiro's face. He looked pretty pissed off.

"Sheesh... what a pain..."

He gave Akira a look.

 _I should probably say something..._

"Um... how's business going?"

"Doesn't concern you. As long as the business doesn't fail, it's fine. I'm not gonna wear a fake smile in my shop."

She gave him a sideways grin.

"But what if it does fail?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'll live on the streets." He said with a shrug.

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

"As long as I'm here, the world leaves me be..."

Akira detected a trace of sadness in his voice.

 _Sojiro must have his own problems as well. But to be fair, who doesn't?_

The baggage everyone carries is a mystery to everyone but themselves after all.

Sojiro left after, leaving herself and Morgana as usual. Makes her wonder what Sojiro's home life is.

 _He probably lives alone._

As she made her way up the stairs, her phone chimed in her pocket. It was a text from Ann.

 **Ann: So I went to the hospital to see Shiho.**

 **Akira: How's she doing?**

 **Ann: Her condition is stable.**

Akira sighed in relief.

Thank god the girl was ok.

 **Ann: But they don't know when she'll regain consciousness.**

 **Akira: She'll pull through Ann. I know she will.**

 **Ann: You're right. I just need to believe in her.**

 **Ann: She will get better.**

There was a pause in her text.

 **Ann: But I'll never forgive Kamoshida for what he's done. He's going to pay.**

 **Akira: Of course. We'll make sure of it.**

From everything's that's happened, she understood Ann's rage. She would make sure Kamoshida paid for what he's done.

Morgana crawled up onto her bed.

"We're almost ready to infiltrate the palace, but we need to assemble some infiltration tools."

She gave him a questioning look.

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything. Just clear off that desk so we can get started."

She glanced at the dusty sheet covering the desk.

 _Ugh... That's a lot of dust._

Holding her breath, she yanked the sheet off. Dust particles flew into the air around. Despite holding her breath, a sneeze escaped her nose. She snifled a bit as Morgana climbed up onto it.

Soon enough, she was making lockpicks with Morgana's help. Never would she ever expect this would be how she'd spend her nights. According to him, over time her proficiency would increase with practice.

"It's getting late. Time for bed." Morgana said.

Akira nodded and proceeded to head to bed.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Ryuji's morning was going pretty crappy so far.

He woke up late.

He missed breakfast.

He had to run to catch the subway.

Yeah it ticked him off, but he just hit his boiling point.

Can you guess what it was?

Frickin' Kamoshida talking with Akira in front of the school gates. His fists shook as he tried holding in his rage.

Akira looked visibly uncomfortable, and Kamoshida just kept smiling and forcing himself closer and closer to her.

 _Damn asshole!_

He finally let Akira pass, who quickly made her way into Shujin. She hadn't even noticed Ryuji behind her. Once Kamoshida spotted the blonde boy, a sneer formed on his lips.

"Good morning." He said.

Ryuji frowned and kept quiet. If he said anything now, he wouldn't be able to stop and Akira wasn't here to hold him back.

Seems as if the son of the bitch knew.

"That behavior won't help you when you're expelled." He taunted.

 _That's it!_

"Shut up you-!"

"Ryuji!"

Ann came running up to him, dragging him behind her.

"You idiot! Don't start something in front of everyone." She hissed.

He huffed in response but returned to a silent state. Kamoshida grinned a bit. He got the reaction he wanted as well as the attention too.

The students around them buzzed and whispered around them. Ryuji glowered at the students before stomping into the school.

He was so peeved he ended up skipping class again. He'd rather cool off on the roof than deal with some shitty teacher. His feet were up on the table, tilting his chair back and forth. Looking at his phone, he began texting the girls.

 _Akira and Ann are probably in some boring class._

 **Ryuji: You all saw Kamoshida at the gate this morning.**

 **Ann: Ugh... that was so annoying.**

 **Akira: He was there when I came in too.**

 **Ryuji: He was standing there, wearing this shit eating grin on his face.**

 **Akira: He was probably mocking you. All of us I guess.**

Ryuji decided not to mention him seeing her this morning. She was already getting too much shit from the bastard. No need to load anymore.

 **Ryuji: But seeing him is making me feel more fired up.**

 **Ann: I am too. I'm worried about Shiho still but I'll make sure to concentrate on the operation.**

 **Akira: It's fine Ann.**

 **Ann: I'll make sure not to get exhausted either.**

 **Akira: The board meeting is on May 2nd so we have some time before.**

 **Ryuji: Let's do this then.**

 **Ann: Tell us when you wanna head into the palace Akira.**

 **Akira: Ok.**

Ryuji put his phone down and stared up at the sky.

 _Can't wait to kick his ass._

Akira sighed in relief once class ended. Like usual, it was pretty boring minus the texting.

Morgana had told her the planning was up to her and it would be her call whether they go in or not.

They had all the necessary equipment so she sent the signal and ordered everyone to meet her on the roof.

"Heading into the palace?" Morgana asked from her bag.

"Yep. Let's go meet the others."

They had 14 days until the deadline so they went straight into mission mode. Akira pulled out her phone and in they went. The world around them shifted and once again they were standing before Kamoshida's palace clad in costume.

Once there, Akira stared at Ann's attire along with Morgana and Ryuji.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking about a codename for you." Akira said.

"Codenames?"

After explaining the reason for such, the group began listing potential names.

Ann quickly rejected all of them.

"Well, what name do you want then?" Ryuji asked.

"Something better than some little kitty... How about Panther?"

From that day forth, Ann's codename was Panther.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

"All out attack!"

The four charged at once, effectively ending the fight. Akira grabbed the items dropped.

 _Oh! More medicine! Good stuff._

Their adventure in the palace was going well. They hadn't run into anything too bad and they were getting some nice drops.

Akira had even discovered that she could create new Personas with fusion. With the help of Caroline and Justine of course.

Although it initially shocked her to see her old Personas, rest in peace Pixie and Jack, get executed.

She'd have to get used to that.

Honestly, she was going to have to get used to a lot of this stuff.

"Good work guys." Akira said, turning to face them.

"This is a piece of cake." Ryuji bragged.

Morgana shook his head.

"Don't get overconfident."

Before the two could start arguing, Ann stepped in.

"Come on you two. Stop messing around." She said.

Morgana quickly stopped as expected. Akira wasn't paying attention to their quarrel very much. She was too busy inspecting the map they just acquired.

No treasure to be seen yet, but if they kept moving maybe they'd find another piece.

On the other hand, she didn't want to force all this in one day.

If someone got hurt from exhaustion, that'd be really bad.

"Hey come on. There's a safe room nearby." She called.

The rest of them followed her to the room. When they entered, the room shifted from the castle's distortion to its classroom appearance then back to the castle.

It was fascinating to watch.

A well deserved break was welcomed by everyone. Akira stood by herself, thinking. She debated the pros and cons of staying and leaving the palace now.

After a good five minutes, she held a meeting.

"It's time we leave the palace. We did good work today so let's not push it."

No one had an objection to her plan so they proceeded out and went their separate ways. Morgana and herself were feeling quite exhausted.

 _The_ _Metaverse really takes a toll on the body..._

The two barely said good night to each other before collasping into bed. Waking up the next day was torture.

She was even asleep during Mr. Hiruta's class.

"Well Miss Kurusu, what do you think the answer is?"

She blinked and all eyes were suddenly on her.

 _What were we talking about?_

She glanced at the diagram on the board and blanked.

"Um... C?"

"That's correct!"

 _Oh the luck is real!_

Once again, everyone was shocked she got it right. She really needed to start studying. She didn't want exams to creep up on her.

She'd rather not fail.

Class went on normally and then the bell finally rang.

"Come on Morgana. Back in the bag."

The cat scowled then crawled in.

"This is humilating but I guess it can't be helped."

She gave him a sympathetic smile and collected her books.

"Are we heading into the palace today?" Morgana asked.

 _Good question._

She paused then shook her head.

"No. I think having a rest day in between infiltrations is a good idea."

"Fair idea. Then where are we going today?"

Before she could respond, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

 **Ryuji: Hey. Where are you right now?**

 **Akira: Still in my classroom. Why?**

There was a pause between his texts.

 **Ryuji: Just askin'. I'm by the stairs by your class. We heading to the palace today?**

 **Akira: No, not today.**

 **Ryuji: Oh ok. Hey um... I thought of something while we were running around the palace.**

Ryuji looked down at his phone, tapping his foot impatiently. If they weren't heading to the palace this was his chance to spend time with her.

 **Akira: Oh really?**

 **Ryuji: Yeah. I think my body's pretty weak since I haven't moved so much since being on the track team.**

 **Akira: I see. We need to get stronger because we're going to face stronger shadows sooner or later.**

 _Ok! Time to go in for it!_

 **Ryuji: It's really nice and sunny out today. You wanna train with me?**

He held his breath as she typed. The repeating dots made him sweat.

 **Akira: Sure. Let's meet up.**

Ryuji could've and would've jumped for joy right there, but he could see her already leaving her class. She was speaking Mishima. He wasn't sure what they were talking about, but Akira but her hand on his shoulder.

 _Prolly comforting him or something._

Once he walked off, Akira smiled at the blonde as she approached him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"You ready for some training?"

She nodded.

"Alright! Go get changed and meet me behind the gym."

The two then separated to get ready.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira emerged from the gym doors, clad in the school's ugly gym clothes. She really did hate how baggy is was on her.

As she had changed earlier, her cat companion had gone off to take a walk on his owe.

 _I hope he doesn't get in trouble..._

She saw Ryuji a short distance away, tapping his foot like he always did.

 _How does he make it look so good?_

Compared to her, Ryuji looked amazing in it.

It suited him for some reason.

He looked up when he noticed her presence.

"Ready to get your blood pumping? Let's start off with some streches."

The two do lunges, squats, and various other forms of streching.

It was then Akira realized how out of shape she was.

As she struggled, Ryuji spoke.

"You know, this brings back memories. This used to be my secret trainin' spot." He grinned.

"Secret...training... spot?" She panted.

His grin dropped suddenly.

"Er... was my trainin' spot."

 _This must have been where he used to work out for track._

It didn't shock her that she was correct. It did surprise her that Ryuji wanted to start running again.

Especially after what had happened in the past.

But his reasoning made sense.

He didn't want to be a burden when they had to run and sprint through the palace.

"It just felt lame to be struggling to keep up."

She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I get it Ryuji. It's pretty cool that you wanna get stronger. I believe in you."

"Not just me. You too."

She blinked at him.

 _Excuse me?_

She must've had a strange look on her face because a smirk grew on Ryuji's lips.

"You didn't think I'd leave you out of the fun, right? Why'd you think I told you to change?"

 _Damn it..._

It was too late to run away now.

In the end, the two of them ran laps around the school.

Long story short, they both were exhausted.

Akira had struggled to keep up the entire time, and now she was struggling to get air back in her lungs. Her cheeks had reddened and it was visibly clear she was way out of shape.

"Damn... My legs are all tight..."

 _Looks like we're equally out of shape._

He was kneeling, trying to regain his breath.

As tired as he was, he loved this. He loved feeling the wind through his hair and the sweat dripping down his back.

It brought back a lot of memories.

"Before Kamoshida showed up, the track team was biggest thing the school had goin' for it."

Her eyes widened at his words.

The volleyball team was ruling the school now so it was surprising to hear the track team was once on top.

Ryuji told her how the track team fell from grace. Their coach got fired and Kamoshida filled in as a sub. She could figure out what happened next.

Like Ryuji said, it was like he was out to get them from the very beginning.

He made their lives hell, especially Ryuji. He was aware he'd fight back and he did everything in his power to make him feel like shit.

"He even brought up my parents." He frowned.

"What about them?"

She mentally slapped herself. That was a completely private thing that she shouldn't have even asked. His silence only proved that.

"Y-You don't-"

"Truth is... my mom's all I got."

 _Ryuji..._

She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He knew he didn't have to tell her.

But he wanted too.

He wanted to trust someone other than himself.

He wanted to open his heart to her.

"All my dad did when he was around was drink. Sometimes he'd eve beat me or my mom."

He closed his eyes, recalling those painful memories.

Unconsciously, his hand reaches for hers. Their fingers hooked together and she didn't pull away.

"He told the whole goddamn team..."

His grip tightened around her hand.

"That's when you hit him."

The blonde nodded wordlessly.

"They called it an act of violence and the track team got shut down. Now all the guys see me as some kind of traitor."

Akira frowned.

"Don't say that Ryuji. It was Kamoshida's fault."

He shook his head.

"They lost the championship 'cause I fought back. They ain't wrong."

There was a look of anguish etched on his face. She couldn't stand to see him so upset.

Once again Kamoshids had reduced her friend to thinking badly of himself.

"Do you regret doing it? Would you go back and changed what you did if you could?"

He looked away and didn't respond.

"Ryuji..."

"Aw c'mon! Don't ask me serious questions like that. You know I'm not smart." He joked.

She smiled at him, but was still concerned nonetheless.

"It's all in the past now. I'm only thinkin' about the future now!"

Akira could feel the strength of their bond growing. His hand felt warm in hers, and her hands felt soft in his. Both looked down at their interlocked hands.

Ryuji was the first to pull away.

"S-Sorry... I guess I was too deep in the moment."

He looked away to hide his embarrassment. Had he really just grabbed her hand without realizing?

 _Goddamn it._

Perhaps if he hadn't looked away, he would've seen the dark blush on her cheeks.

"C-C'mon let's do another lap."

"Another!?"

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Her legs ached as she opened the cafe doors.

"Hey are you sure you're alright?" Morgana asked, poking his head out of the bag.

"It's nothing I can't handle."

He shook his head.

"Wanna head up to bed?"

"No not yet. There's something I'd like to do first."

She slid into one of the booths of the cafe and pulled out her school books. She had been meaning to start studying for some time now.

Why? She didn't know.

Perhaps the idea of incoming exams were prompting her to hit the books? Maybe she didn't want people to see her as just some delinquent? Or maybe she really was a good student at heart?

Either way, it was time to get to work.

For the next few hours, she and Morgana studied until she felt she could no longer keep her eyes open. But Sojiro's coffee really helped in that department.

By the time she finished, Sojiro had headed home and night had fallen.

She closed her textbook and gazed out the window.

 _What a beautiful night..._

Back home, the stars would've illuminated the sky.

Only neon lights filled the night sky here.

"Akira, shouldn't you get in bed."

Tearing her eyes from the sky, she quickly began to put her materials away.

"You're right. It's pretty late now."

Two ascended up the stairs and fell asleep.

Well one of them did.

Akira tossed and turned a bit.

Something she had said earlier was bugging her.

 _"Do you regret doing it? Would you go back and changed what you did if you could?"_

She shouldn't have said that.

Especially when she herself was still dealing with facing those question.

Everyday she thought of the actions that led her to becoming a student at Shujin. The actions that led to her expulsion from her original school. The actions that led to both family and friends shun her.

If she had known this would be the consequences would she still have stepped in.

 _Was it truly worth it?_

She scoffed at herself then turned once more.

 _Of course it was worth it._

 _Stop doubting yourself Akira._

She snuggled into her sheets and shut her eyes, pushing out any thoughts and stress.

 **10 More Days Til The Deadline...**

Catching a seat on the subway was pretty lucky, so she jumped at the chance. Akira could even read a magazine for once without someone whispering or making snide remarks.

But all good things come to an end eventually.

The ride ended and she had to head to school.

The only good thing was Kamoshida wasn't at the gate today.

The classes droned on like usual. The only interesting part was when he said class dismissed.

That's how Akira ended up wandering Shibuya in the rain. Good thing she brought an umbrella.

She originally came to pick up part time job flyers, bit she couldn't help but be intrigued by the flashing signs and neon lights.

"Oh. This is the alley to the gun shop."

She peered into the alley and was shocked to see Justine floating in midair, kicking her legs back and forth.

 _Nope. Not dealing with her today._

She walked back the way she came.

"Central Street is very busy."

She peered into a shop window curious.

"It's a popular place. It's got something for everyone."

"Seems like it."

The rain pattered on her umbrella.

She pulled out her phone and began texting the others.

 **Akira: Let's head into the palace today.**

 **Ryuji: Sweet! Let's go.**

 **Ann: See you at the hideout.**

"Come on Mona, let's go." She said.

"Finally. I can't stand this rain."

She laughed a bit and headed for the station.

 **Sorry for the delay guys. Some things came up but its all good stuff. For example, I picked what college I'm going to and it seems my condition is finally getting better. Thanks for all the get well wishes. I think it's working. Knock on wood.**

 **Now to address some comments.**

 **When I started this, I had no voice actor in mind for Fem!Akira. As time went on, the voice in my head for her voice was a bit deep and had a blues kind of tone to it. The closest voices that matched what I heard in my head was Lauren Landa (female robin in super smash bros wii u/3ds) and Kira Buckland (2B from Nier Automata).**

 **I will always refer to the P5 protagonist as Akira, despite it now being Ren. If Ren had a female name it would probably be Rena.** **Oh yeah. Harem all the way. Sorta. It's not going to reach the extremes of what the male protagonist does but it'll be there. Ryuji will still be her end choice though.** _Although Iwai is a close second._

 **Also thanks for reviewing and being patient. I know it sucks to wait months for updates but life happens.**

 **Thanks for reading and have a nice day**!


	11. Chapter 11

Akira hesitated in front of the door.

School had come and pass, and now very little students walked among the halls.

The deadline was two days away.

Her hand shook as she knocked on the door.

It slid open.

"Ahh Kurusu-chan. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I came to accept... your deal."

The grin on Kamoshida's face grew as he let her in. The door slid shut.

She swore she heard a lock, but her heart was pounding too hard to be sure.

"You made a good decision. You're a smart girl."

His laugh echoed in her ears. All she could manage was a shaky nod. The volleyball coach rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I don't bite..."

His arms wrapped around her slim waist.

"...too hard."

Akira felt sick to her stomach as his fingers caressed her cheeks. It was taking all her willpower not to shove this asshole off her. She had to do this.

She had to.

If she didn't...

 _Ryuji..._

He tried so hard to protect and support her.

Now she had to do the same for him.

If he got expelled from Shujin, what would happen to him? What would happen to his future? He and his mom would suffer again.

If she can save him from that pain, then she will.

A shiver ran through her spine as a rough hand palmed her butt.

"Don't be so tense... You're going to feel _very_ good."

His right hand travelled up her body, resting his palm over her chest.

 **You can imagine what happened next.**

Her body pitched forward as she clamped her eyes shut.

"Not bad. I didn't think you had a decent boobs but these **stupid** clothes hide them."

She screamed as he yanked her blazer off, leaving her in exposed in her white shirt and black suspenders.

Instinctively, she covers her chest with her arms. A sadistic and sick grin blooms on his lips.

"Suspenders? You have a kink for them or something?"

He lumbered closer to her, his eyes filled with lust.

And it scared her.

Her steps back started out slow, slowly increasing in speed. That is until her back smacked into the wall.

"Why are you running? Didn't you want this? Don't you want to help Sakamoto?" He mocked.

She averted her eyes.

"...Don't say his name like you own him."

Her hands slammed together against the wall, high over her head. The blood vessels in his neck pulsed as his breath fogged up her glasses.

"Shut up you slut!"

She flinched.

His hand tightened around her wrists.

 _Damn him and his big ass hands._

Akira whimpered as he unbuttoned her shirt, one by one. He was savoring this moment. Staring at his pale and creamy skin.

 _I hate you._

A wet sensation came in contact with her neck. A small gasp escaped her lips. His tongue lapped hungrily at her skin. She squirmed but that only made him tongue her rougher.

From her neck to collar bone then back to her neck.

Suddenly, an ice cold hand touched her stomach.

"Ngh..."

His teeth bit into her skin.

"Ah...ha...ha..."

Her breathing grew heavy as he sucked the tender skin, finding the sweet spot.

That definitely would leave a mark.

Soon, her bra was discarded and tossed to the floor. Her glasses too clattered to the ground.

His hand massaged her breast, relishing the feeling within his palms. The poor girl tried holding in the moans begging to be released as he continued to grope her.

She couldn't.

No.

She wouldn't give Kamoshida the pleasure.

But he was certainly making it hard to do so. She could feel something deep inside her. Something that was enjoying the sudden passion.

She hated that something.

"Let me hear those moans Kurusu-chan..."

When she only gritted her teeth, his anger grew. But he knew how to make girls do what he wanted. He always made them mere putty in his hands.

His fingers flicked her nipple, prompting her body to jolt slightly. The flicks soons became twists and his tongue now had a new target.

"Ngh...! No..." She breathed.

Her body twisted and writhed as he worked away on her. Her knees trembled and her eyes watered from how hard she was shutting them.

Her head was swimming. It was getting harder and harder to focus.

She could only feel his hands on her body.

However, her eyes widen once she felt him roll down her stocking.

"Let's take a look down under shall we?"

"Please... Don't.." She begged.

His fingers made their way down. Down went her skirt, her panties exposed. Calloused hands felt up the fabric, as well a few other things. He poked and prodded, earning him whimpers and silent moans.

He didn't give her a warning as he plunged his hand in. Her knees banged against each other, quivering as he explored her insides. Her thighs squeezed together in efforts to stop hom. Her hands ached as she tried to escape his grip.

Finally, his sweet Kurusu-chan made a sound.

"Uhhh...! Ahh...! Ahhhh!"

In and out.

In and out.

In and out.

First one. Then two. Then four.

No longer could she hold back her voice. She moaned, deep from inside her. Tears poured down her cheeks and Kamoshida laughed.

It was sick and disgusting, but her body reacted the exact opposite.

"What a slut. I didn't think you'd be so easy."

Pulling his hand out, he showed her his wet and dirtied fingers. She could feel it dripping.

"Why don't we have some real fun now?"

The wind was knocked out of her after being thrown to the ground. She didn't have the strength to fight as he pulled her panties to her ankles.

All she could do is moan once his tongue made it's way inside.

 _This.._

 _This..._

 _This is disgusting..._

 _Get off me!_

Her body trembled and she felt a rush coming.

 _No!_

 _Don't you dare Akira!_

 _DON'T YOU DARE!_

 **Too late.**

Her back arched and with a final moan of complete arousal and ecstasy, she came. It spread across the floor and Kamoshida's face. With labored breathing, humiliation and disgust overtook her.

It must've been evident on her face.

"Don't look so down Kurusu-chan. There's still more to come."

He reached for his waistband. The lump in his pants now evident.

Terror seized her body.

 **The next few minutes were so agonizingly painful and humiliating that words cannot describe how Akira felt.**

She screamed and clawed at his back.

In and out. Over and over.

 _Ann..._

 _Morgana..._

 _Ryuji..._

 _I'm so sorry._

 _I failed you._

"The rest of the year is going to be _very_ interesting. _Isn't it_ Akira?"

"Hah... Hah... Yes...Ahh..."

He chuckled in her ear and brought her lips to his. His free hand played with her nipples and he forced her mouth open.

Her screams and moans where muffled by his tongue exploring the depths of her mouth.

In and out.

In and out.

Faster.

And faster.

And faster.

Until his fresh liquid squirts into her.

 _NO!_

"No!"

Morgana jumped and ran over to Akira, hopping up onto the mattress.

"Akira! You alright?!"

The girl was drenched in a cold sweat, struggling to catch her breath.

 _That dream... was too real._

"Breathe Akira. Just relax."

She nodded and did as she was told. Within a few minutes, she felt a bit at ease.

"Feeling better?"

"Mhm. Just a bad dream."

The cat streched then put a paw on her hand.

"That bastard Kamoshida's been plaguing your dreams again, right?"

She averted her eyes. Morgana knew her answer, no need to ask her again. He sighed and shook his head.

"Anyway, get some sleep. We gotta send the calling card tomorrow."

 _That's right..._

The had finally found the treasure, or at least what Morgana claimed was the treasure. It looked like a foggy little cloud but she trusted the cat knew what he was talking about.

She was glad they'd finally found it. The deadline was getting closer. It made her happy that they wouldn't have to venture into the bastard's pervert palace anymore.

Everytime they went in, Akira swore she was repulsed by the man even more than previously. You'd think that wouldn't be possible by now.

Well it is.

The library filled with his lust over the female students started it. There was a book for every girl he'd ever had his eyes on. Even Ann and herself were within the library. There were books with male students too, but the contents of said books were more insulting than perverted.

Ryuji was really pissed when described as a vulgar ape.

 _Then again, who wouldn't?_

The Shiho shrine was definitely a problem. Naked photos of her almost made Ann lose it, as well as herself. That was probably the worst part of that place.

The bosses were a pretty close second.

 **Especially** one shaped like a dick.

Never had she ever thought a shadow would stare at herself and Ann so intently. Nor did she expect Ryuji to get on a rampage because of it.

But in the end, it was all worth it.

They were only steps away from stealing Kamoshida's heart and getting him to confess.

Things were taking a turn for the worse at school though. The rumors of them being expelled spread fast, and now, a rumor about herself, Ann, Kamoshida being in a love triangle. Just thinking about it made her want to gag.

Hanging out after school wasn't so bad though. She and Ryuji worked out and ran together.

Also ran into Ryuji former track teammate, but that wasn't a good thing.

She started working around the cafe and learning how to make coffee. Sojiro also started letting her explore the streets of Yongen-Jaya. Made deal with Takemi- after being drugged by her. Part time jobs, buying new weapons.

It's been a busy couple of days.

And yet here she is, losing her mind every night with a new Kamoshida nightmare.

She slapped her cheeks then laid back down. Morgana curled up beside her. He always did that whenever she was feeling off.

"Good night Morgana."

"Night Akira."

 _Thank you..._

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

The three teens and cat grouped up at the roof as soon as classes end.

"Ok. We found the treasure and now we need to send out a calling card to steal Kamoshida's heart." Akira began.

Ryuji scratched his head.

"Couldn't we have justjust sent one at the start of all of this...?"

"I doubt it's that simple." Ann said.

"Right as always Lady Ann. A treasure won't stay materialized forever. Once the impression is gone, the treasure disappears." Morgana explained.

The three nodded in understanding.

"I think it'll last around a day at most."

Ryuji muttered something about Morgana's lack of solid proof, but it was ignored.

"That's like no time at all. The hell?" The blonde complained.

Ann rolled her eyes at Ryuji.

"Anyway, we can send the calling card now right?" She asked.

When the cat nodded, Ann grinned.

"Alright, let's do it. For Shiho!"

"For Shiho!" Akira cheered.

Morgana glanced at Akira.

"Ready?"

"Let's send the calling card." She nodded.

"I've been waitin' to hear you say that!"

 _That bastard's going down!_

Ryuji could never forgive the ass for what he did to him, Ann, Akira, the track team, and every other person he ever screwed over.

His brown eyes stole a glance at his dark haired friend.

He knew she looked fine from afar, but she was sleep deprived. He could see the bags underneath her eyes. Ann told him she was dozing off in class too.

 _This whole Kamoshida problem is wrecking her._

"Tomorrow's finally the day."

The group nodded.

Ann couldn't wait. She would make Kamoshida pay. She'd make him beg for forgiveness.

She'd make him regret what he's done.

"So, who's going to write the card?" Morgana asked.

Akira blanked.

She had no art talent whatsoever. Any of her so called art was a crime against humanity and needed to be burned at the stake.

And that was an understatement.

You could imagine her shock when Ryuji volunteered.

The rest of them felt the same shock. After a bit of pushing and convincing to Ann and Morgana, he began begging Akira.

He just looked so innocent and pure.

She couldn't help but say yes.

"Sweet! I've got a hundred things I wanna hurl at that bastard!"

Ann shook her head.

"Just make sure it's not obvious who wrote it, all right!?"

"I know, I know."

And that's how the entire school was buzzing the next day.

Somehow, red cards had been pinned to walls all over the school. Ryuji hadn't done such a bad job.

 **Sir Suguru Kamoshida,**

 **the utter bastard of lust.**

 **We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back.**

 **That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins.**

 **This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready.**

 **From,**

 **The Phantom Thieves of Heart**

 _Damn... Ryuji went all out._

Akira spotted Ann and Ryuji nearby and made her way to them.

"I liked the name. Very interesting." She said, grinning at Ryuji.

"Not bad, eh? I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference." He said.

He was proud of his work.

"It sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult." Ann sighed.

"Your logo's a little lacking too." Morgana said from the bag.

"Ok, y'know what? That ain't true!"

Akira giggled.

"Don't worry, you've got at least one fan."

His heart soared. He would've been on cloud nine if not for Kamoshida stomping up to the wall of calling cards. His reaction was better than what any of them imagined.

 _Serves him right._

Kamoshida indeed was pissed.

Who the hell thought they could threaten _him_?!

The answer became a bit clearer once he spotted three students who didn't run when he showed up.

"It was you, wasn't it!?" He yelled, jabbing Ryuji in the chest with his finger.

Ryuji stumbled back a bit. He was ready to retort when he felt a familiar hand on him.

"What're you talking about Mr. Kamoshida?" Akira asked quietly.

Kamoshida gritted his teeth.

"What garbage..." He muttered.

He reminded himself to calm down. They were going to be expelled soon anyway. His gaze lingered over Akira.

"Don't forget Kurusu-chan..."

Suddenly, world around them shifted. The normal Shujin walls altered to the black murkness of the Metaverse.

"Come... Steal it, if you can!"

No longer did Mr. Kamoshida stand in front of them. His shadow self glared down at the three.

 _Of course we will._

 _Just you wait._

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

They traversed towards the treasure room, avoiding any nearby shadows.

Akira pushed open the door quietly, the others following.

"Aww yeah! The treasure appeared!" Morgana cheered once inside.

The foggy cloud had been replaced by a large and grand crown.

"Man, it's huge!" Ryuji said with wide eyes.

Morgana jumped to and fro, his entire being full of excitement.

"Ahh... this shine brings tears to my eyes..."

Ann didn't agree, but it was hard to listen to her reasoning while watching Morgana fawn over the treasure. Akira swore she saw a crazy glint in his eyes.

"T-T-Treasure..." He swooned.

With a grand and extravagant leap, the cat pounced.

"Meeeeeeooooooooooow!"

The looks on their faces had a mix of utter shock and confusion. It was one of weirdest things she'd seen the cat do.

And she'd once caught him trying on her tights in the mirror.

 _...What the hell?_

"Mrrrrrroooooooow!"

 _Ok. Enough's enough._

"Morgana, that's not cat nip. You're way to excited."

He didn't hear her over his excessive purring.

"That's enough you stupid cat!" Ryuji yelled.

His eyes snapped open. Sheepishly, he hopped back to the ground. He cleared his throat awkwardly, mumbling something about an insolent sight in front of lady.

Akira clapped her hands, getting their attention.

"Let's steal the treasure already."

The group nodded and the three began lugging the oversized crown towards the door.

Everything seemed to be going great.

"Go, go! Let's go!" Sang one voice.

"Ka-mo-shida!" Rang out another.

Suddenly, King Kamoshida soared through the air, volleyball in hand. With great skill, the ball was spiked down at them.

"Watch out!" Akira yelled.

She tried tightening her grip on the crown, but she was no match for the speed of the volleyball. The crown clattered out of their hands.

Above them, he gracefully spun as he flee through the air. Upon hitting the ground, he stood and let the crown materialize in a smaller size in his palm.

Akira groaned along with Ann as Princess Ann and Princess Akira ran up and embraced the mostly naked man.

"I won't let anyone take this! This proves that I'm the king of this castle- it is the core of this world. " He declared.

"That rat bastard..." Ann growled.

"How does he keep re-making them?" Akira muttered.

"Yo pervert. Were you waitin' to ambush us?" Ryuji called.

He was so sick and tired of this bastard sexualizing his friends. Yes, they were hot. Yes, they were attractive.

 _Especially Akira._

But no way in hell he'd let this asshole have his way with them. In this altered world or the real word. They'd have to kill him first.

"I was just making it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now." Kamoshida said, smirking down at them.

"That's our line asshole." Akira said.

He chuckled at them.

"What a selfish misunderstanding..." He laughed.

"How is it a misunderstanding?! You were doing things that people shouldn't do to anyone!" Ann yelled.

Her anger was rising. The fire from deep inside her was growing.

Kamoshida only shrugged.

"It's their own fault. They wanted my help and I wanted something in return. Everyone wins that way. Adults want to share and my accomplishments and students who have the drive to become winners... They willing protect me so we all profit."

"Profit!?" Ryuji spat.

"There's too many imbeciles who don't understand that! Including people like you, Mishima, and even that girl who tried to kill herself!"

That was all Akira could take.

"What did you just say?!"

"She was a total idiot... Letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide... And I'm more of a dumbass for not realizing that!" Ann said.

 _Ann..._

"But no matter what kind of fool someone might be, they don't need permission to live their lives!"

"Drop the attitude peasant! There's no wrong in using my gifts-!" Kamoshida began.

"Enough of this bullshit." Akira said.

The Princesses gasped. A filthy peasant had interrupted _their_ king. Princess Akira was gonna have that.

"Hey! No one interrupts-"

Arsene suddenly formed behind his wielder. Akira didn't need to instruct her Persona.

For he knew what she wanted.

He set his gaze on the bikini clad girl, who had stepped back a bit. The poor princess couldn't even scream before being destroyed.

"She was really pissing me off..." She said darkly.

Kamoshida stepped back a bit for a moment.

"You can be immortal, but kings don't reign forever..."

"I'm... I'm a cut above all humans! You can't defy me!"

Ann scoffed.

"Above? You mean beneath. You're a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires!"

"Enough of this crap! Let's just beat the shit outta him and get the treasure!" Ryuji yelled.

Kamoshida only laughed, the ground around him shifting. He pulled Princess Ann close and morphed into something entirely new.

"I'm not like you..." He grinned.

 **I aM a DeMoN wHo RuLeS tHiS wOrLd!**

Saliva dripped to the ground as he grew in size. Morgana's eyes widened and the rest of the group could only follow suit.

"Wh-What the hell...!?" Ryuji gasped.

Never in her life had she seen such a long tongue.

Before them stood a grotesque Kamoshida. A strange demon with a mile long tongue, holding a glass of wine and a knife. The treasure sat comfortably on his head.

"GYE-HAHAHA! I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want!" It bellowed.

"You're wrong."

Akira turned to her teammates.

"Let's finish this."

"Yeah!"

 _The battle begins now._

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Taking care of the chalice of legs was easy enough. It was a good call telling Morgana to go for the crown.

The killshot was pretty destructive.

But they won. That's all that matters.

 _Speaking of which..._

King Kamoshida stood by the edge. His face had paled and he was clutching the crown for dear life.

"No where left to run." Akira said.

"Or can't you run? Aren't you supposed to be a _great_ athlete?"

Sweat trickled down his face.

"It.. It's always been like this... all he expectations those goddamn hyenas forced on me!"

"Shut up."

Kamoshida flinched at Akira's tone.

"I'm doing it for them! All for them! What's wrong about demanding a reward for that!?"

"Now you're makin' excuses? Pathetic..." Ryuji frowned.

"Nngh..."

Arsene appeared once more. Carmen appeared behind as well.

"Cleave!"

Arsene smashed into the wall besides the shaking man.

"AHHH!"

He dove to the ground as rubble fell besides him. Akira glared down at him, as did Arsene.

"Scared?" Ann asked.

"I bet you are. Now you know how we felt!" Akira yelled

He turned away, looking out to the large drop outside the door.

"Right now, you're seeing the same view Shiho did." Ann said.

Both she and her dark haired friend stepped closer.

"I'm sure she was scared too... except she had no choice but to jump..."

Her blue eyes burned into Kamoshida's yellow eyes.

"What will you do? Will you jump or would you rather die here?"

Fire burned to life in Carmen's hands.

Arsene too readied dark power in his hands.

He couldn't stop shaking.

He couldn't move.

Ryuji glanced at the girls. Would they really kill him?

"Finish him off if you want. It's your call ladies." Morgana said.

"No, please wait! I beg you... just forgive meee! Don't kill meee!" He cried.

"Shut up. I bet everyone told you the same." Ann growled.

"Forgive you? Do you not remember what you did!? To the volleyball team, Mishima, Shiho... Me?!" Akira snapped.

Akira's mind flashed back to that day in his office.

Shiho falling over and over replayed in her mind.

"You took everything from them!"

Side by side, darkness and fire blasted forward.

Kamoshida shrieked, ducking his head.

"I... I... Here! I accept defeat! You want this? Take it!"

He threw the crown towards them. It clattered on the ground. Akira didn't move to pick it up, instead power surged through Arsene.

"Go ahead and finish me. That way... me and my real self go down..."

His words pissed her off.

She wanted him gone.

She never wanted to see that asshole ever again.

Arsene slowly faded away.

 _And yet she couldn't do it..._

Ann growled and pointed. Carmen released the fire.

"Ann!"

It missed and smashed into the wall.

She felt the same as Akira.

"If his mind shuts down, he can't admit his crimes."

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Akira stood by here.

They both could never forgive him, but they needed him alive.

Kamoshida sank to his knees.

"I've lost. You're through when you lose... What am I- What am I supposed to do now?"

"Atone for you sins."

"... You're right. I will leave now and return to my real self."

His body began to glow and soon he became a faint image. Then he was gone. Akira kneeled down and picked the treasure up from the floor.

"We did it..." She said.

Before anyone could respond, the ground started rumbling.

"Just so you know, we don't have time to waste. This place is about to collapse."

And that's how the four them began sprinting through the palace halls. Well three.

Somehow Morgana reverted back to his cat self in the real world.

It was a good thing Ryuji and her have been training.

"We're gonna die! We're so gonna die!" Ann cried.

"No we won't! Don't jinx it!" Akira yelled.

Ryuji held his leg as he ran. His knee was killing him. He had to keep moving. The girls running ahead of him reminded him off that.

His knee buckled.

 _Damn it!_

He crashed to the ground.

Both Ann and Akira stopped.

"Ryuji!" They called.

Akira started to run back towards him but he yelled for her to keep going as he struggled to get back on his feet.

She ignored his plea.

Paintings, furniture, and rubble rained down on them. That didn't stop Akira from running straight back to him. The wave of destruction kept growing closer, forcing her to run faster.

She couldn't lose him.

Not after finally achieving their goal.

She yanked his arm over her shoulder and the two shakily stood.

"Come on hurry!" Ann yelled.

Together, they all ran for the light, making it out just in time.

"The destination has been deleted."

"We did it..." Ann panted.

"What about the treasure?" Morgana asked.

Akira grinned and pulled a gold medal out of her pocket.

"Wait... Where'd that crown go?" Ann frowned.

Morgana explained the crown was the medal. The medal was the source of Kamoshida's desires. The medal was worth as much as the crown in his palace apparently.

"A medal from his glory days huh?" Akira said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"An Olympic medal... Damn..." Ryuji said.

"We have his treasure, so this means Kamoshida's heart might have changed right?"

Ann's question was answered within a few days.

An assembly was called that day.

Ann and Akira stood together as students gossiped and mingled around. They could feel eyes on them.

High school in a nutshell.

The principal tapped on the microphone.

"Let's begin the school wide morning assembly. As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers."

He droned on, continuing his little speech.

Akira knew he didn't really care.

Shiho had tried to kill herself days ago. Had he really cared, an assembly would've been called the next day.

His speech was cut short as Kamoshida entered the room.

Akira looked at Ann.

She too was surprised by his sudden arrival. He had been absent lately.

 _Did he have a change of heart?_

"Mr. Kamoshida, what's the-"

"I... have been reborn. That is why I will confess everything to you all..."

He slowly made his way to the stage. He looked dejected as he faced the student body.

"I have repeatedly done things that were... unbecoming of a teacher. Verbally abusing my students, physically abusing my team, and... sexually harassing female students. I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!"

He sank to his knees as the student nody buzzed around him. To say Akira was shocked was an understatement. The same could be said for Ann. Never had she imagined hearing Kamoshida utter the truth.

It was even more shocking that he started crying.

"I thought of this school as my own castle...There were students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn't like them... I even tried to force one of them to...having sexual relations with me just to stop the expulsion..."

He looked out at the throng of students. He could see so many faces he recognized.

Takamaki. Kurusu. Mishima. Parts of his team.

He could see the pain and suffering he caused in their eyes and some on their bodies.

"I will, of course, rescind those... I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrendous acts."

The tears only increased as he spoke.

"I am a shamful, arrogant, and shallow person... No... I'm worse than that."

His forehead hit the ground, the thud echoing throughout the gym.

"I will take responsibility and kill myself for it...!"

The gym erupted with noise. The students' confusion and chatter. The principal begging for Kamoshida to leave the area. Teachers trying to round up their students. The former proud coach wallowing in self-pity.

"Get up and shut up, you asshole!" Akira yelled.

"Bastard! Stop trying to run!" Ann added.

"Shiho is still alive even after the thibgs that made her want to die!" She continued.

The students around them turned at the girls, but their stares wouldn't silence them.

"You have no right to run! Not after everything you've done!" Akira said.

Silence overtook the room.

"You're right... You're absolutely right... I have to be punished under the law and atone for my crimes." He said.

He looked directly at the two.

"I did terrible things to both of you. I'm so sorry... I tried to force Takamaki-san to having relations with me for giving Suzui-san a position. I also leaked Kurusu-san's criminal record online as well as trying to force her into having... sex with me..."

Words of disgust and regret rippled through the crowd.

"As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in. Someone please call the police!"

That was enough to whip the crowd into a frenzy.

Ryuji made his way to Akira and Ann, still in awe of the event that transpired in front of him.

The assembly ended promptly after. Teachers were yelling students to rereturn to their classrooms, but there was too much chaos to be handled.

But it was ok.

A lot of people had come to apologize to Ann and Akira about spreading rumors about them.

Mishima had personally, albeit bashfully, thanked her for saving him and promised to make it up to her.

He retreated before she could utter a word.

She assumed he was just shy, but Ryuji didn't seem all that happy about it.

"You think this was really for the best?" Ryuji asked once the crowd died down.

She nodded.

"Of course. We would've been expelled otherwise." Akira said.

"Unless Akira agreed to Kamoshida's deal, but she'd pretty much be his slave if she did." Ann added.

Both Ryuji and Akira shuddered.

"Promise you'll never sacrifice yourself for us, ok?" Ryuji said.

"I promise..." She said.

"Good, now let's get out of here."

The three exited the gym, discussing what to do with the medal.

 _Sorry Ryuji..._

 _I won't be keeping that promise..._

 **Happy summer everyone! School's out, let's scream and shout! Hope you all are enjoying the weather. Sorry for the delay. I had planned to finish this chapter in June but like usual stuff happened. I graduated highschool, family problems, my sister went back to college for work, and my family's moving soon. Anyway, onto some questions and comments.**

 **I'm super happy you guys are enjoying and happy with how I'm portraying the characters.**

 **Someone asked me (via PM) who's my favorite/hated waifu in P5. My favorite is Ann. The way Akira and her first meet in the game made me think she's the one. Her social link kinda blows though. They make her seem like an airhead. Hate is a strong word first of all. Second I don't hate any of them, just dislike. My most disliked is tied. Makoto and Ohya are my least favorite. Before someone kills me remember everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just find them kinda bland. Makoto kinda reminds me a bit of myself but that's not enough to make me like her. Their designs are nice though.**

 **Last question, someone also asked if I was in the Persona world would I have a palace. And being realistic, I probably would. I wouldn't say I'm evil and take advantage of others. I just think my perspective of the world has warped my heart and the way I go about life. I won't bore you and go into detail.**

 **As a final note, I ask you all to tell the people you love that you love them. Recently, a lot of people in my life have died, of natural and unnatural causes. I'm not going to go into detail since I'd rather not bore you. The point is you never know what will happen in life. So I ask you appreciate the little things and tell those you love how much you care.**

 **Do it before it's too late.**

 **Thank you for reading and have a nice day. Please review and leave questions if you want.**


	12. Chapter 12

Everything was great now.

Kamoshida admitted to his crimes and didn't have a mental shutdown.People had apologized for making up and spreading rumors. Shiho regained consciousness and none of them were getting expelled.

It was finally over.

The group relaxed on the rooftop, staring at Kamoshida's treasure.

An Olympic gold medal.

Ryuji busied himself to see how much they could sell it for while Ann and Akira made small talk.

"Thirty thousand yen!? That's all a gold medal's worth!?"

The girls turned to the blonde.

"That's enough to celebrate a successful mission." Morgana grinned.

"Celebrate?" Akira asked.

"It would be nonsense if we didn't." The cat added.

Ryuji nodded in agreement.

"I guess we could blow this dirty money on something fun."

"Discussions among phantom thieves are to take place over luxurious food. How about it?" Morgana grinned.

Akira's mouth began to water at the thought. Sojiro's food was good but she had yet to try most of the food the city offered.

"Any recommendations?" Akira asked, looking at the group.

"Hmmm... There's somewhere I want to go. It's somewhere Shiho and I have been wanting to go for a while."

"Sounds nice."

"What kind of food they got there?" Ryuji asked.

After a bit of debate, and Ann stating Ryuji owed her because he never paid her back in middle school, they agreed on Ann's recommendation. They'd enjoy their celebratory feast on the last day of the holidays. Ann would call in to check the prices and Akira would go sell the medal.

The group then began to head their separate ways.

"Hey! Hold up Akira."

The dark haired girl stopped to let Ryuji catch up.

"What's up?"

"I just needed to talk to you for a sec."

She gave him a look.

"You could've just texted me."

He scratched the back of his head.

"I mean yeah, but... That's not the point!"

She giggled at him.

"Alright, then what is it?"

Ryuji hesitated for a moment.

 _Should he really bring this up?_

How long ago had he comforted her when Kamoshida sexually assaulted her? He didn't want to bring up bad memories, but he had to be sure she was ok.

"I um... wanted to ask if..."

"If?"

A million thoughts raced through her mind.

 _If what?_

 _If I want to walk with him to the train?_

 _If I want to go get some ramen?_

 _If I want to hang out some time?_

 _If what Ryuji?_

As her mind processed, her cheeks reddened.

"...If you're feeling better?

She immediately deflated.

"Huh?"

"You've been looking really tired and stuff. Your whole face is red too."

She coughed and placed her hands on her cheeks.

 _Good grief, what the hell am I thinking?_

"I'm fine Ryuji."

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Or at least I'm fine now."

"Just talk to me if you're not, ok?"

She smiled at him.

"Of course I will."

Akira closes the distance between them, capturing a surprised Ryuji in a hug. She gave him another smile then waved goodbye.

Leaving Ryuji standing there, dumbfounded.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira sighed as she enter Leblanc.

She needed a nap.

As she made her way up the stairs, her phone trilled in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw it was a text from Ann.

 **Ann: Is that gold medal real? When did it get in his Palace?**

 _That's a good question._

Morgana poked out of her bag.

"Tell Lady Ann that it's a fake. It's just a by-product of his cognition. The real one should still be in his possession." He said.

Akira nodded and began typing.

 **Akira: Mona says this one's a fake. Kamoshida still has the real one.**

 **Ryuji: What...? You're telling me Kamoshida's still got the medal?**

 **Ann: Who cares?**

 **Akira: Ann's right. What matters is that we changed his heart and won't be expelled.**

 **Ann: Anyway, if we had taken the real medal that'd be stealing!**

 **Akira: Either way, I doubt he'll be proud of that medal anymore.**

The texting drifted from Kamoshida to hilarious banter about Ryuji's debt to Ann as well as something about a dolphin. It was small moments like these Akira lived for.

It had slowly begun to get dark when the conversation died down.

Holding Morgana in her arms, she came back downstairs.

Sojiro was still there.

He turned to her and sighed.

"Must be nice to have so much time off starting tomorrow... For meme, it just means more customers and even more work."

Akira felt a tiny bit guilty.

"If you want, I can help out around the shop." She offered.

He stared at her for moment.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have asked...?_

"I'll think about it."

She brightened when he spoke and nodded. Sojiro left soon after and Akira spent some time studying.

When she awoke the next day, Morgana was already up.

"Come on, we're going to pawn that medal today."

"Right!"

Akira began to dress and get ready only to hear Sojiro calling to her.

"Hey, you can hear me right?"

"Yes!"

"You offered to help out yesterday so come down. Don't sleep your life away."

 _Crap. I forgot about that._

As happy as she was that Sojiro trusted her to help him, she had plans. Maybe she could pawn the medal afterwards.

"We'll wait on that. I better hurry down and help." She said.

"Yeah, we do owe it to him." Morgana sighed.

She hurried down the stairs and set out to help. Sojiro didn't let her make coffee, but he did let her clean down tables and wash dishes.

"Heh, sorry I made you work on your day off." He said with a sheepish grin.

"It's fine. I did offer."

Sojiro opened his mouth to speak but the television interrupted him.

"And now to our next topic... Fall from Grace: The story of a dishonored Olympic medalist."

Sojiro frowned at the screen, which showed pictures of Shujin Academy as the newscaster spoke.

"Just recently, a high school coach admitted to his school that he had been perpetually abusing students. Given his prior Olympic achievements, this has caused quite the stir. What caused this habitual offender to suddenly confess these heinous crimes to his entire school? The police are hoping the upcoming interrogations will bring light to this question."

Akira smiled to herself as she heard students speak up and tell the world what happened.

"Hmm? Isn't this...?" Sojiro mumbled.

Akira was too busy smiling to hear him.

"This is your school isn't it?" He said.

She jumped a bit, almost dropping a plate.

"Yeah... Seems like it." She said.

Sojiro sighed.

"Things might be gettung turbulent at school. Just keep your head down, all right?"

"Right."

"Finish up with those dishes. We've got more work."

"... Right."

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira collasped onto her bed, face first.

She felt exhausted.

"The chief really worked you hard." Morgana said.

"So. Many. Dishes."

 **Pi-Pi-Pi!**

Blindly, she felt around for her phone and looked at the text.

Ryuji was freaking out about the news covering the Kamoshida case. Ann saw it too. She was glad to hear they didn't mention anything about Shiho.

"There's no way the school can keep this quiet." Akira said.

Morgana nodded in agreement.

The rest of the conversation Akira didn't remember. She had fallen asleep while using her phone. Morgana sighes at her.

"She didn't even change..."

He shook his head and carefully climbed around Akira's sleeping body.

"Ugh. This might be tough." He mumbled.

Using his mouth, he yanked at the blanket in the bed. After a couple minutes of struggling, he'd finally managed to cover Akira.

"Now the glasses."

Ever so carefully, he removed her glasses and placed them on the windowsill. He climbed down and stared at the girl.

"We'll go sell that gold medal tomorrow."

Hopping off the bed, he made his way to his own sleeping area and turned in for the night.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

"Make sure to do the dishes."

Akira sweated under Sojiro's gaze.

Morgana had just told her upstairs that she'd have to turn down Sojiro if he asked her for help.

But she felt so bad doing that!

"I... I can't right now. How about when I get back?"

He stared at her.

She was afraid he'd say something but the bell rang as the door opened.

 _A customer._

"Welcome." Sojiro said.

A tall woman with silver hair and a business suit came in. She lookes at the two.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked.

"Not at all."

She sat down silently, the newscaster in the television was the only noise to be heard.

"The cause of the runaway train incident in the subway the other day has not been found. Police are hurrying to solve the matter as it may be related to the rise in psychotic breakdown incidents."

"That's the thing everyone's been talking about?"

Akira nodded.

"Doesn't it make you curious?"

Akira and Sojiro turned to the woman.

"People who were living normal lives suddenly went mad out of the blue... Not to mention that it's happening one after another. Could they really be a coincidence?" She continued.

Both her and Sojiro didn't comment.

"..Leaving that aside, what'll you have?" He asked, breaking the uneasy tension.

The woman didn't look fazed. Instead she gave in, ordering the house blend. She then focused on Akira, who had been standing there quite awkwardly.

"Are you a part timer? I'm surprised this place can afford one."

 _Damn. That was a low blow._

Before Akira could interject, Sojiro quickly answered.

"That's exactly the case."

"Are you a high school student? Where do you attend?" She asked.

"I go to Shujin Academy."

"Really? Someone I know goes there as well. I heard things are rough right now." The woman said.

When Akira nodded, she began talking about Kamoshida.

 _She probably watched the news and heard about it._

"Can a person's mental state change so easily?"

 _You wouldn't believe it..._

With Sojiro making her drink and the once curious woman silenced, Akira slipped out the door with Mona in bag.

At that time, Akira didn't know it, but that woman would play a large role in a bigger game.

That woman was Sae.

Sae Niijima.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

A subway ride to Shibuya and walk through a back alley took her to the gun shop she'd been to with Ryuji.

The surly manager was still behind the counter, feet up and everything. When she walked in and met his eyes, he looked surprised.

He put his feet down and leaned over the counter.

"You again? I'm surprised you came back without your boyfriend." He grinned.

"He's not my boyfriend." She said.

"Right, right. What do you want?"

"I want you to buy this."

Akira slid the medal across the table. He examined it, then gave her a suspicious look.

"A gold medal? Why do you have this?"

Akira opened her mouth only to be cut off.

"We don't buy any fake or stolen goods here, kid."

He looks down at the medal in front of him and frowns. He gazes up at her again, which in turn makes her gaze back at him.

 _Why's he staring at me?_

"... Hold on a sec. Lemme see it."

She nods and he examines it from all angles before putting it back down.

"I'm just... not gonna ask where you got this. How's 30,000 yen sound for it?"

"Works for me." She says with a nod.

"30,000 it is then." He says with a grin.

Suddenly, the grin leaves his face as he glances at the door.

"It's almost time..."

"Almost time?" She asks.

He doesn't answer her. Instead, he pulls out a paper bag from under the counter and holds it out to her.

"Here, take this with you. It's a thanks for selling me that medal."

She blinks at him as she takes the bag.

 _A... present?_

"But, uh... best not to open it. Just bring it with you next time you come back here."

 _This better not be a bomb._

"Got it, but this is a little weird sir. What's inside?"

He grins at her.

"It's all fine, trust me."

And for some reason, she did.

Maybe it was because he bought he stuff without question? Maybe it was because she thought he was attractive?

Or maybe it was because deep down she saw him as a good guy?

No matter the reason, it didn't stop her from blushing a bit from embarrassment.

"...Alright." She said.

He seemed to smile at her but it faded as his eyes flickered back to the door.

"They're here."

Not even a minute passed before two men in suits came into the shop.

They stared at the manager sternly.

"Munehisa Iwai, yes? There are some matters we'd like to discuss with you today."

Iwai nodded and turned to Akira.

"... Go, kid."

She nodded and began to head out.

Once she moved, the men got closer to Iwai.

"Do you know why we're here?" One asked.

Iwai didn't seem fazed.

"I dunno, lookin' for evidence? You tell me Detective-san."

The other man slammed his hand on the counter, making Akira jump.

"Watch your attitude!"

"Well, you guys gonna search me? Go on, do what you gotta do."

Iwai seemed to be enjoying messing with the detectives, but that didn't explain why they were here in the first place.

"Can you two hurry it up? I've got a business to run here." He smirked.

The more aggressive detective seemed pissed. He suddenly turned and glared at her.

"Hey, you!"

"Yes?" She answered.

"What's in the bag, huh? Show me!"

Akira blinked and backed up a bit. She couldn't risk getting caught with the police, especially of she didn't know what was in the bag in the first place.

"Well!?" The man's voice rose, "Show me!"

Akira trembled under his eyes. The other man's eyes softened and he prodded his partner.

"Calm down. She's just a young girl and you're scaring it for no reason."

"That girl's just a regular customer. You can check the tapes if that'll convince you. They'll show everything that's gone down here today." Iwai said.

 _I need to leave. No way I can stay when they're gonna watch a tape of me pawning off a totally suspicious gold medal._

Akira turned to leave but the louder detective wouldn't let her go so easily.

"Hey! Stay right there! I won't let you get away that easy! Show us what's in the bag!"

Akira hesitated and hugged the bag to her chest.

"It's... It's embarrassing..." She mumbled, trying to make her voice sound small.

"To hell if it's embarrassing!" The man yelled.

"But... I don't want to show a grown man I don't know my... my panties..." She said with a dark blush.

Iwai blushed a bit, pulling his cap down a bit.

In fact, no one in the room could stop a blush from growing on their faces.

"Now you've gone and done it. I told you to stop harrassing this young woman. Now apologize and let her be on her way." The calmer detective spat.

"... I'm very sorry young lady. Believe me, it was not my intention to be rude."

Akira nodded and quickly left. She heard Iwai say safe trip home but she didn't dare to stop and return the greeting. Once outside, she knelt to the ground and felt herself die a little on the inside.

"That was... so embarrassing." She squeaked.

Morgana poked his head out of the bag.

"At least you got out of there without them checking the tapes and the bag first."

The things she did to stay out of trouble would surely kill her one day.

"But what were those detectives doing there?" Morgana asked.

"I don't know. I hope Iwai-san isn't wrapped up in some shady business."

"More importantly, aren't you curious about what's in the bag?"

She glared at Mona.

"I just had to lie and announce this bag was filled with my underwear. I'm about one hundred and ten percent done with this paper bag."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Well? Are you going to open it."

"...Yes, I'm opening the damn bag."

Both Morgana and Akira's eyes widened.

 _Is that a REAL GUN!?_

 _WHAT THE HELL!?_

"A real gun!?" Morgana yelled.

He stuck his head into the bag and sighed in relief.

"No, wait. I think it's just a model."

"Oh thank god." Akira sighed.

Akira gave the model a hard stare.

It was incredible. It seriously looked like a real gun, not at all like the toy-like one Ryuji had.

"There's something weird about this place... But we should totally buy this gun and from him later."

"What! Why?"

"I mean, it's perfect. Something this real looking would work wonders in the Metaverse."

"... You're not wrong."

Akira thought about it and nodded. Perhaps a more realistic weapon would be stronger and help them in the future.

"When I bring it back next time, I'll ask him about it." She said.

"Alright! Now let's head home."

She nodded and made her way back to the station. Once home, she went upstairs and pondered where the best place to hide the gun would be.

Her thought process got interrupted by her ringtone.

 _It's Ann._

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey Ann."

"So, um... the Kamoshida case is getting a lot of coverage huh?"

"Yeah... How do you feel?"

"I'm a bit uneasy. The reaction's so much bigger than I expected. Don't get me wrong, I don't think we did anything wrong. I guess I'm just... surprised."

"It's alright Ann. We can finally breath easy. And so can Shiho."

"Yeah. You know those students that spoke up for the interviews they showed? I wonder if we helped them finally speak up."

"I think we did. It's pretty amazing huh?"

"I know right? I didn't think we'd actually be abke to do it!"

Akira chuckled.

"You didn't believe in us?" She teased.

"Of course I did. You know what I mean!" Ann laughed back.

They talked for a bit longer about the randomest things, only to end after agreeing to meet the next day at the Shibuya Station for their celebration.

"See you tomorrow at noon."

"Yeah. See you Ann."

Akira plopped onto her bed, fantasizing about the great food she was bound to eat.

"Finally, a good meal!" Morgana cheered.

"You say that as if we don't feed you." Akira said.

"Chief only feeds me cat food and you give me scraps of whatever you're eating! This time I'll have my food of what I want." He said.

She grinned and scratched behind his ears.

"Of course."

"Hey, what do you think we're gonna be eating? Fish? I hope it's fish."

"Maybe they'll have sushi?"

Morgana's eyes flashed in wonder and pure joy.

"Ooooooh! Tuna, sea urchin, and maybe the wonderful salmon roe!"

"You're really looking forward to this." She said, smiling.

"Of course! Let's head to bed and get a good night's sleep."

She nodded and after changing, turned the lights off and got into bed.

 _Tomorrow's gonna be great!_

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

The area was dark and misty. Akira could barely see what was ahead of her.

"Where am I?"

She had no recollection of how she ended up in such a place.

"Morgana!" She called.

 _No response._

"Ann!"

 _Nothing._

"Ryuji!"

 _Silence._

She looked around for any distinguishable signs or places but there was nothing.

This place was an empty wasteland.

A void devoid of all life.

And if felt as if she was suffocating.

"What is this place?"

"Little girl..."

Her eyes darted around. She didn't see anyone.

"Little girl... Are you lost?"

But someone was definitely talking to her.

"Who's there!?"

"Little girl... come here."

Her head began to ache.

She closed her eyes in an effort to calm herself, but all she could see and hear was static.

"Little girl..."

It sounded so familiar too.

 _Police sirens._

 _Blinding lights._

It finally clicked.

So she ran.

She ran and ran as far as she could.

It was him.

The man who started it all.

 _"Damn brat! I'll sue!"_

The man who's face she couldn't remember.

Her wrist was grabbed, yanking her to a stop. A second hand grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him.

A classy business suit.

Foreign watch.

That stupid drunken grin.

She could remember and clearly see all those things.

So why?

 _Why couldn't she remember his face?_

The place were his face should've been was clouded by the dark mist. She struggled against his grip, but it was futile.

He continued to pull her face closer to his.

"What do you say? Accept my proposal." He said.

And she said the same thing she had said that day.

"As if!"

With a shove, she forced him off her and ran again.

His laughter followed her as she ran endlessly.

"Shut up! Leave me alone!" She screamed.

 _Wham!_

She fell back, her vision spinning from knocking into something hard. Rubbing her head, she looked up.

She recognized this room and felt the blood leave her body.

"Kurusu-san. It's nice to see you here."

Kamoshida stood before her, grinning like he always did in her nightmares. She began backing up.

"This is dream. This a dream!"

"Kurusu-san~"

Her back met the wall and Kamoshida closed in on her.

"This is a nightmare. This is a nightmare! Wake up!"

She slapped her cheeks but was stopped by Kamoshida's strong hands.

He smiled at her and brought his lips close to her ear. She tried scooting away, but there was no where to run.

His hot breath sent chills down her spine.

"Let's finish what we started..." He whispered.

And she screamed.

She screamed and screamed until she woke up in bed. She sat up and hugged herself, looking around her room.

Her screaming must've only been in her dream because Morgana was still sleeping peacefully across the room.

 _Good. I'm glad I didn't wake him._

Carefully, she tiptoed out of bed and down the stares.

She splashed her face with water in the sink behind the cafe counter. Akira stood there, holding the sink as the water dripped down her face.

"It's over Akira. It's just a dream..."

She sighed and made her way over to the booth closest to the front door. She took a seat and stared out at the sky.

The moon was full tonight.

She thought to call Ryuji but she'd have to sneak back upstairs and get her phone. She wasn't ready to lie back in bed.

At least not yet.

So she stayed alone downstairs, staring at the moon gracing the sky.

 **Hey guys! Happy New Year! Long time no see. What's up? Sorry the update took so long. I had to really get into study mode for finals and I spent a lot of time catching up with my family and friends for the holidays. I've been updating all my stories across multiple platforms. And I also go a Nintendo switch (My friend code is SW 0738-7412-1316)so I've been crazy busy. This story is not abandoned nor will it ever be, so never fear about that.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Trauma is something that you can't always just forget and I don't want the sexual harrassment from Kamoshida to just be brushed over. It's a serious thing that'll take time to move past. ButI must have I'm having fun thinking of scenarios with a female protagonist. That paper bag scene was tons of fun hehe. I also love it when you guys send me suggestions. Shoutout to kvsyaoran and oOShinahiOo ****for being really sweet and suggesting ideas for the story.**

 **Now for questions I've received.**

 ** _Did you hear Joker was released as a DLC character for Smash Ultimate?_**

 **Yo. I fangirled so hard. You know I'm about to buy that and main the life out of Joker. I can't help but wonder who else will be released as DLC.**

 ** _What do you dislike about Persona 5?_**

 **I did not like how shallow some characters are. Like Ann's makes her seem like an air head and after the first palace I feel as if she didn't get as much development. Same for Ryuji. He literally becomes the punching bag of the group. I wish there was also more time to get to know Haru. Like she comes in pretty late so its it's hard to really fall in love with her. I still did anyway though.**

 ** _What other video games besides Persona do you like?_**

 **Too many my friends. Too many.**

 **As always thanks for reading. If you have any comments or questions please review or contact me personally. I cannot respond if you're a guest account so sorry about that. Thank you and have a nice day!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Long time no see. Sorry for the long break. I'll explain that later. For now, on with the story!**

The restaurant was exquisitely decorated.

Lavish red rugs atop the gleaming brown hardwood floors. Soft ivory couches with red pillows. Darkened and rectangular oak tables adorned with beautifully decorated white plates and other fine china.

Truly, this was a setting for the high class.

But Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana enjoyed it despite the contrast between them and the rest of its patrons.

"This food... so good!" Ryuji said, his mouth full of meat.

"No wonder Lady Ann chose a place like this!"

Ann smiled, scooping another piece of her cake.

"Of course it's good. This is a famous hotel, after all."

Despite the good vibes and delicious food, there were still things to worry about. The police were going to come and question the students at school.

No way the rumors about herself, Ann, and Ryuji wouldn't come up.

The only positive was the popularity of the Phantom Thieves. There wasn't a single day Akira wouldn't hear that name in the halls or in the hushed whispers during class.

"People are really pumped up about us." Ryuji grinned.

Akira paused from eating her fruit tart.

"People are grateful for what we did, but I doubt any of them believe in it." She said.

"But they're still grateful. Hold on a sec! Lemme show you something."

The boy fished into his pocket and pulled out his phone for the girls to see. The two peered closer.

 _What's this?_

"The Phantom Aficionado Website...?" Ann read.

 _We have our own website?_

Ann scrolled and read the many posts on it.

"Well done, Phantom Thieves."

"Now I can keep going too."

"Thank you for giving us hope."

Ryuji handed the phone to Akira, who looked at the remaining posts with Morgana. There weren't many but there were definitely enough that thanked them in some form or way.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He grinned.

"Yeah." Akira nodded.

Ann nodded as well.

"I was just desperate to deal with my own problems, but seeing all this feels...strange."

It was strange, but Akira couldn't help but feel happy for this turn of events. They helped a lot of people and they were thankful.

"Hey... What do we do now?"

Akira shot the blonde boy a confused look.

"We eat?"

Ann and Morgana chuckled as she focused back on her tart.

"Well yeah... but that's not what I meant."

Before either could go more into their conversation, Ann's eyes widen as she jumped out of her seat with a gasp.

"This place has a time limit! I have an hour to try out all the cakes and sweets!" She shrieked.

Ryuji jumped up as well, mumbling about beef.

The two promptly disappeared, leaving Morgana and Akira.

"Are we going to look for food too?" The cat asked.

Akira shook her head.

"We should wait til they come back. Who's going to watch our stuff if we decide to get up?"

Morgana sulked at her words, but he knew she was right. Akira smiled softly and scratched his head.

"Don't worry. I promise we'll get you some fish."

His eyes gleamed.

"Really!?"

"Of course."

Morgana cheered, which made severely people around then turn. Akira felt a sweat coming on as she could hear complaints about a cat being let inside.

"Quiet down!" She whispered.

Eventually, Ryuji and Ann returned with more food. They had even brought back some food for the two.

Akira was happy they had.

Truly, she was.

Until she found it was only beans.

Black beans, Chickpeas, Pinto beans, Fava Beans...

 _How many beans can one buffet have?_

No thanks.

They didn't notice when the two slipped away without touching their bean assortment. Akira and Morgana in her bag wandered the food tables, looking for a nice variety. She spotted a table of fish and went there first.

After all, she had promised Morgana.

"Fish! I prefer raw, but grilled is fine too." He said, slightly peeking out of the bag.

As she placed some on her plate, her ears picked up on a nearby conversation.

"Have you heard my dear? The news about that Kamoshida fellow was absolutely dreadful."

Beaides her, two seemingly wealthy women spoke loudly to each other. As casually as possible, she listened in.

"Ah right. That teacher at Shujin Academy, caught doing such indecent acts. Shameful, really."

The other woman nodded in agreement.

"And they still haven't managed to solve those horrible psychotic breakdown episodes, have they?"

"Honestly, I wish they wouldn't let themselves be distracted by such a tawdry scandal." The other said, shaking her head.

"Perhaps it's a sign of how peaceful this country is. I honestly pity these poor Shujin student though."

Akira shook her head.

"Sounds like the Kamoshida incident is the talk of the town."

Akira was about to nod, but froze when she made eye contact with one of the woman.

Every inch of her body, as well as Morgana, was telling her to act natural. But all she could do was awkwardly wave then grab more food.

She could hear the women bristle.

"Tsk! How did a **child** end up in here?"

"I certainly hope she didn't bring friends. I prefer my meals to be hooligan-free, thank you very much."

The two walked off, but not without giving Akira a look of scorn.

"What's so bad about kids enjoying a buffet?" Morgana asked.

She didn't answer, but she could imagine what her own mother would say in this situation.

 ** _"Children like you need to learn respect. You can't just galavant wherever you want. Show you have some decency, people are watching!"_**

She sighed.

Now was not the time to be remembering her mother's words.

She just wanted food, but at every station she went to there was another wealth group of people talking about the news and Kamoshida. Some even mentioned the Phantom Thieves.

But of course, almost all of them had some snide comment about her.

 _Some people are just rude..._

By the time the two returned to the table, she dug in. She just wanted to eat.

It was great. It melted in her mouth and assaulted her taste buds in such a way that words can't even explain how good it was.

She was in heaven.

"I'm so happy..." She sighed.

Ryuji chuckled.

It was nice seeing Akira's eyes light up. She was really enjoying herself.

"It's cute hearing you say that. Just don't get too excited, alright?"

Morgana scowled.

"You're the last person I want giving advice about that..."

Morgana was also stuffing his face with the various fish they had grabbed.

"Don't you think you're eatin' too much Mona?" He asked.

The cat chuckled.

"There's no knowing when we'll get to come here again."

With that, the group stuffed their faces and ate til they couldn't eat anymore. No matter how much they ate, the food on the table didn't seem to be lessening.

But they couldn't give up.

They'd never get another chance to eat like this again.

 **_**

 _My belt feels too many sizes too small..._

Her stomach ached.

She held herself up at the bathroom sink.

In truth, she had felt much worse earlier.

She, Ryuji, and Morgana had scarfed down every last dish on their table. It was so good, but too much.

The group had dispersed to relieve themselves.

Ann had stayed at the table, Ryuji and Morgana went to the men's room, and she went to the ladies room.

The guys had gone to the bathroom on the lower floor, but the female's bathroom there was closed so she had to go up on a higher floor.

It kinda sucked making her way up here alone, but the trip was worth it.

She felt much better.

"Alright, time to head back down."

She washed and dried her hands once more, before heading out.

There was barely anyone in the fancy halls. Her shoes made a small _click_ sound as she walked across the clean and shiny floor. She pressed the down elevator button and waited, swaying from side to side.

It was lonely traveling without Morgana.

 **DING!**

The elevator sound pulled her out of her thoughts. The light about the third elevator gleamed. The door opened and she moved closer.

Suddenly, something hard smacked into her, sending her stumbling back and landing on her butt.

"Ow! What the-!"

 _Dammit... I didn't even see him._

The responsible party, was a man in a business suit. He was followed by more suited men, who seemed to be circling around someone. He looked at her briefly.

"You should be more careful where you stand." He said gruffly.

 _Be more careful? You walked into me!_

She was about to say something back, but her words died in her throat.

"Why are there so many children here?"

 _That voice..._

Static filled her mind.

Her vision was blurring.

She held her aching forehead, trying to refocus her thoughts.

She could hear footsteps moving and stopping in front of her.

"Don't bother with her."

The footsteps then faded away, leaving Akira to regain her footing and sight minutes later.

She alone again.

Once up, she dusted her clothes off and pressed the elevator button again, now wishing she had brought Morgana or someone with her.

Ann and Ryuji looked pretty pissed when she returned to their table. Within moments of sitting, she was told how some woman bumped into Ann then blamed her when she dropped her plate. The workers themselves even looked at Ann with disapproval, despite doing nothing. Ryuji and Morgana then retold how they were shoved aside by some random guy at the elevator, and how no one spoke up against them. Akira herself then shared her encounter from earlier, earning angry comments from both of her friends.

Ann sank into her seat.

"I wonder if we're out of place here..."

"We're not supposed to be, but for some reason it always feels like this." Akira sighed.

They sat in silence for a bit until Ryuji called for Morgana, his voice sounding serious.

"What is it?" The cat asked.

"... Anyone can have a Palace, yeah?"

Morgana nodded.

"Anyone with a strong, distorted desire."

"Same for them havin' a change of heart if their treasure gets stolen?"

 _Where is he going with this?_

Ann seemed to be thinking the same as her, and she asked why Ryuji would be suddenly thinking about this.

It was because he was sick of it.

Sick of the selfish bastards and shitheads that looked down on everyone but themselves. Each of them had run into someone like that in the past and had even encountered one that very day.

He wanted to continue as the Phantom Thieves.

They had the power to change terrible people and help victims who have no other option but to endure.

They couldn't ignore people's pleas for help.

"Shouldn't we be able to help 'em out?" Ryuji pressed.

He was right.

"I want to help people." Akira said with a nod.

Ann agreed as well.

They had this power for a reason. They couldn't abandon those relying on them.

Even if it was a small amount of people.

From that day forth, they were officially...

The Phantom Thieves of Heart.

 **_**

Sae didn't believe her.

The look on her face and the disbelief in her voice made it obvious.

She herself wouldn't believe it if she hadn't lived through it.

"It's all true, but believe what you will..."

"Honestly speaking, that all sounds absurb. It's hard to believe that this is even worth listening to. Yet, it can't be considered nonsense when it aligns with parts of Kamoshida's confession."

Akira nodded.

Sae continued her prodding hern trying to figure out her teammates.

But she was no snitch.

No way she'd turn in her friends.

Over her dead body.

Sae didn't seem fazed by her silence and chose to move on instead.

She pulled out a different photo this time.

It was an elderly man.

White hair, wrinkles, traditional clothing, and looked fairly kind.

"A master of Japanese arts..." Sae began.

 _Ichiryusai Madarame._

 **_**

Akira was collecting her stuff after class wwhen she noticed Mishima start walking up to her.

She hadn't spoken to him much lately, aside him promising to make it up to her for leaking her criminal record online.

"H-Hey!" He said.

"Hey Mishima. What's up?"

"Have you seen that Phantom Aficionado Website?"

She nodded. It was the website that Ryuji had lately been talking nonstop about.

"I'm the one who started it."

She blinked at him.

"I'm sorry. What?"

He grinned at her.

"I made the Phansite."

Before she could comment again, he was suddenly very close to her face.

Very close.

"... Um. You guys are the Phantom Thieves, right?"

Akira unconsciously began to blush. She wasn't used to people being this deep in her comfort zone.

"Er... Mishima..?"

"Yes?"

"Could... could you give me some space?"

Now it was Mishima's turn to become flustered. He stepped back and promptly apologized. He had no idea he had gotten so close.

"If things really are as I think, I guess I should keep it a secret."

 _I didn't even answer._..

"Kamoshida used me, and I did some horrible things. To you and your friends." He said, looking a bit dejected.

"Mishima..."

"This isn't much of a way for me to apologize for it... But if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know!"

"That's sweet of you Mishima. Thank you."

A light blush dusted his cheeks as he rubbed the back if his head.

"I'm glad to hear that. After all, there's more evil adults out there like Kamoshida... But I'm sure the Phantom Thieves will do something. They can't let this end after just one target."

"Is that why you made the website?" She asked.

He nodded.

"I wanted to make a forum where people could post their problems. After all, there's probably a lot of people who have high hopes for the Phantom Thieves' next move."

He pulled out his phone and showed her his anonymous poll.

"Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves or not?" She read.

 _Wow. He's really trying to support us the only way he can._

"I'd... I'd really like to help out in the Phantom Thieves' acts of justice! ... Can I, please?"

A part of her wanted to deny him, and not let him get involved.

But at the same time he was a sweet kid, and she didn't want to just turn him away.

 _How can anyone resist those puppy eyes?_

"It sounds like fun, but... it's up to you."

He chuckles and pumps his fist in excitement.

"I won't let you down! See ya!"

She waves sheepishly as Mishima dashes off happily.

Not even a second later, Ryuji and Ann show up.

"Yeah. We heard all of that."

"I'm sorry... He was just was so excited." Akira groaned.

Ryuji sighed.

"Geez, it was a little awkward tryin' to figure out when to walk over here." He mumbled.

"It's also awkward trying to hold Ryuji back from barging into the classroom..." Ann grumbled.

She shot Ryuji a curious look.

"Why-?"

"Doesn't matter!" He yelled suddenly, vehemently shaking his head.

He definitely didn't try barging in when Mishima looked like he was about to make a move Akira.

Totally not.

In the end, they decided to let Mishima be. The forum could be useful for looking for potential targets. They still had yet to decide on a new target and with exams coming up, it'd be hard to remain focused.

The days moved on pretty uneventfully.

Well, until today.

"I heard Mr. Kamoshida used a vvolleyball team member to spread details of your past record."

 _Student Council President..._

"Don't you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean?"

 _Hate doesn't even begin to cover how I feel._

Akira didn't like the way she spoke. She sounded as if she knew what she was talking about. But she didn't know anything.

She wasn't one of the victims.

Ann and Ryuji seemed to be hostile as well.

"What's all this about?" Ryuji spat, "She's an upstanding student."

Makoto shook her head.

"I don't mean to offend. Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida. The rumors about that odd, calling card-like posting aren't going away either."

The group exchanged glances.

"I didn't expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Niijima-senpai." Ann said.

Ryuji looked a little hurt from the tactless comment, but a look from Akira stopped him from complaining aloud.

"Anyways, we done here? We can't leave if you keep talkin' to us." He huffed.

Makoto bristled at his statement.

"At least try to understand my position. Being forced to deal with this horseplay..."

"Horseplay!?" Ann and Akired growled.

"Ah yes, by the way... It's been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident."

Akira was pissed.

Pissed, no she was seething with anger. She could barely remember what the group had spoken about after the Miss Student Council President because all she could think about was her senpai referring to the Kamoshida incident as 'horseplay'.

Horseplay?!

Someone tried to commit suicide.

Kamoshida raped a girl and attempted to rape herself.

He beat and abused part of the student body.

And she has the same **gall** to refer to it as horseplay!

That's all she could think about as the group stood in the subway. As leader, she should've been paying attention, but her mind was constantly thinking back to that confrontation.

She was too busy trying to control herself.

Next time though...

 _She wouldn't get off so easy._

"Type in M-e-m-e-n-t-o-s." Morgana instructed.

 _What?_

"We got a hit!"

 _Wait what?_

The world shifted around them. The swarming subway station became empty.

Maybe this was a hint she needed to pay more attention.

 **_**

Mementos, as Morgana called it, was a strange place.

It was for people who had distorted desires but not so distorted that they have their Palaces. Therefore, it was everyone's Palace, in a sense. Mona had a strange connection with it, but he too was unsure of what.

Also Mona could turn into a car.

Akira was also a terrible driver.

Many things were learned from this sudden trip.

It was an ordeal in itself, but it was to change someone's heart and help them become a better person.

With that done, she spent the rest of her Saturday and Sunday studying, preparing for the upcoming exams.

Monday morning, she waited for her train on the platform.

It surprised her when she spotted Ann, but, for some reason, the bubbly blonde seemed... off.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Actually... I've been having this feeling that someone's watching me..."

"What!?"

The dark haired girl quickly whipped her head around, trying to pinpoint anyone staring at them on the platform.

Unfortunately, she didn't see anyone out of the ordinary.

It just was the normal crowd.

"Calm down. I doubt that's it. Maybe I can't shake off the feeling of infiltrating the Palace?"

Akira didn't believe that for a second, but she couldn't spot anyone blatantly staring at her friend.

 _Maybe it is her imagination?_

The two girls chatted about other stuff as they boarded their train.

On the next platform, a young man who was rather thin but tall watched them.

His dark blue hair with parted bangs made him seem mysterious, but Akira was too far to notice him at the time.

He watched their train depart.

"... Two of them?" He wondered, with a soft but deep voice.

He then turned and walked away.

 **_**

 **Huzzah! I'm alive and back! Hope you enjoyed. For some clarification, yes, I'm not a huge fan of Makoto, but Akira wont dislike Makoto just because I do. She dislikes her because of her attitude and she doesn't know know Makoto yet. Please don't think I'm gonna make this a hate war against Makoto. There's already people who do that. Onto the questions!**

 **Are you going to continue this story? x10**

 _Yes. It will always be yes. Just saying._

 **Thoughts on female protagonists.**

 _I like em. Can relate to them a bit more since I am a chick, but that doesn't mean I won't relate and enjoy male protagonists. I'd love a Persona game that straight is made with a female protagonist in mind like Maya from previous Persona game. Like its ok if they make one for a remake of a game, but I feel they're more fleshed out when they're intended to be MC from the beginning._

 **Do you have Joker for Smash?**

 _You bet! I love playing him. I'm just terrible and still learning._

 **P5S?**

 _High key lost my mind thinking they'd bring P5 to Switch. My heart broke when I found out the truth, but my fault for thinking it was a switch version of P5. P5 Scramble does look interesting though._

 **Thoughts on Kasumi?**

 _I like her. When they first showed her, I thought it was an older Minako from P3. I love Kasumi design, especially her Phantom Thief one. Not gonna lie, I was high key confused when people told her to put on pants. My first thought was 'She's a dancer so it's a leotard.'_ _Also didn't notice similarities to Joker's costume at first either until I read it somewhere, but if she looks up to Joker why can't her costume be inspired by it? Like I just wish people would chill about that. I feel bad for the artists that work so hard to make it only for people to talk trash on it. Like you can dislike it, just be civil._

 **Could you explain what you meant by your Palace would be like Futuba's?**

 _Oh boy. That's a whole can of worms. I really don't wanna go super deep but i can bare minimum explain. I grew up with parents who were difficult. So when I got bullied for the first time for looking different (being Black) and having a foreign name (African) they told me to fight back. I didn't want to hurt anyone so I just endured. Eventually they learned I was nice and the bullying stopped. But everytime I moved the same thing happened. I started hating humanity as a whole because I believed we're a selfish and superficial species. It got to a point where I'd say things like Humans are scum or we all deserve to die. I've mellowed out with age, but I still think humans are scum, some more than others. But that's probably because of childhood and othe tramua._

 **What's the most realistic part of P5?**

 _In my opinion, it's the public's reaction to things. At first, there's skepticism. But after it frequently happens people believe and then people start jumping on the bandwagon. Everytime a villain confessed to their crimes in the game this would happen. It starts as I can't believe someone would do that. Then it becomes they're a total creep. Go die. Etc. And once it goes wrong, they turn on you. Like a switch. It's crazy but it's life._

 **Now to address my absence.**

 _College, health, and poor taking care of my mental health. College is fun but its hard like heck man. Like yeesh. But I'll take college over high school any day. Health because my mom recently had surgery and can't walk. So she can't work, move, laugh, and etc. It's better now, but it's scary thinking about how much pain she's in and being strong for my younger sister who's never seen my mom look so weak. Mental health relates to home issues. Like I mentioned before, my family's home country has war going on and being the minority in that country, they're being slaughtered. That greatly affected me as I was states away from home wondering when my parents would call and say who's dead now._

 **But don't fret! Everyone's ok and it's summer vacation!**

 **I don't have a schedule planned but expect a new chapter soon.**

 **P.S. If it's been like 2 weeks since I've updated someone call me out.**

 **Thanks for reading and have a nice day!**

 **Yo! This happened literally mintues before I started grammar checking and spell checking, but the United Nations might be helping out country!**

 **Hopefully they don't screw up!** : )


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Thanks for the positive reviews and love as always. On with the story!** **Also sorry this uodate took more than 2 weeks.**

"Wait! That's no good... Dammit!"

Akira chuckled softly at Ryuji's frustration.

The two were study together to prepare for the upcoming exams.

"Try starting over again." She instructed.

Well...

It was more like Akira was tutoring the hopeless boy in front of her. He grumbled as he struggled with the math, but he didn't give up.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Whoa! I did it! The answer matches!"

"Good job Ryuji." She said, smiling at him.

A victorious grin spread across his face.

"Hell yeah! Oh wait...Lemme grab a refill of my drink real quick. You want one too?"

She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Hurry and get your drink so we can get back to work."

With a nod, the blonde stood and left the booth. The little cafe they were working in was cozy so Ryuji had recommended they studied there.

That and Akira was still to scared to bring Ryuji to Leblanc.

Maybe if she brought Ann along as well, that'd soften the blow.

She chuckled to herself and turned back to her notes.

"Shouldn't we start heading home soon?"

Akira turned to the cat who had poked his little head out of her bag. She gently rubbed his head.

"Not yet. I want to make sure Ryuji understands this concept first."

Morgana purred at her touch before crawling out of her bag.

"Alright. I'm going to stretch my legs a bit."

Akira nods and watched the cat scamper away. Ryuji returned a few moments later, drink in hand and ready to get back to work.

The two diligently went about their work for about five minutes before the blonde boy in front of her groaned.

"Dammit! I don't get it!"

"Calm down Ryuji. Here, let me see."

He pushed his notebook toward her. The page was covered in hard to read chicken scratch, but she got the gist of what he was doing.

"Ok. Let me show you."

Ryuji raised a brow as Akira started writing in her own book. He leaned over the table a bit, but he still couldn't see it well enough.

So he got up and slid into her booth instead.

He saw her hand pause a bit when his body touched hers ever so slightly but she said nothing. She spoke as she wrote every step of the problem.

Ryuji watched carefully, but he definitely wasn't listening.

He couldn't help it.

He was listening first.

Honestly, he was!

But she smelled good.

Like really good.

It was like the sweet scent of vanilla or something.

Whatever it was, it was intoxicating and he loved it.

He'd never noticed it before and found himself inching closer to her to get a better whiff.

 _I sound like a damn creep. Focus Ryuji!_

He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to calm down his racing mind. His heart hammered against his chest.

Was sitting this close to her sending him off?

Akira, completely oblivious to Ryuji's internal panic, continued her lengthy explanation. Unconsciously, she pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

Ryuji noticed.

Now he wasn't even looking at her paper anymore.

His eyes locked onto her.

"-and that's all there is to it."

She finally turned to him, meeting his eyes.

"Ryuji?"

 _Say something._

"Why are you staring at me like that? Do you need me to repeat that?"

"N-no! I got it!" He stammered.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah! Of course! I was... I was just staring at this feather in your hair!"

Before she can comment, Ryuji plucks the "feather" and throws it over his shoulder.

"Got it!"

 _For real!? That's the best I could think off!?_

"Oh. Thanks."

She smiles at him and begins closing her books.

"Well that's all for today. I should start heading back."

Ryuji nodded and watched her start packing up her stuff. He slid out of his seat, letting her out.

"See you tomorrow."

With that, she left to find Morgana and head home.

He waved goodbye then sank back into the booth.

What was wrong with him?

Lately, he's felt weird.

At first, he thought it was because he finally had a friend. Being ditched by the track team and being Kamoshida's punching bag did a number on him, so he was happy Akira stuck by him.

Hell, he was happy when she spoke to him or waved at him when they passed in the halls.

It made him smile.

It made him really happy.

But was this happiness something more?

Sure, Akira was cute.

She was also sexy as hell in her Phantom Thief getup.

Ok, she's good looking all the time.

She was also strong yet kind amd understanding.

There was a lot he admired in Akira.

 _But was that admiration something more?_

He groaned and sank further into his chair.

"Damn! This isn't the time to be thinking about this! I got exams!"

"Excuse me sir?"

Ryuji blinked and turned to the waitress.

"Um yeah?"

"Could you please keep your voice down? I'm sorry your date didn't go well, but you're disrupting other customers."

"S-Sorry..."

"It's-"

Ryuji suddenly flew onto his feet.

"Wait! Date!? I didn't go on a date with anyone!"

"Sir, if you keep raising your voice I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Ryuji ended up trying to explain he wasn't on a date then got kicked out of the cafe.

He sat dejectedly on the train home.

"It wasn't a damn date..."

 _Wait..._

 _Was it a date?_

His face quickly became a shade of red.

 _There was no way that was a date! Akira and I were just studying!_

 _Yeah! Just studying!_

No matter how much he tried to convince himself it wasn't a date, a tiny part of him fluttered in excitement.

Perhaps it was?

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Exams took up the majority of the week, but Akira wasn't worried.

Well, she wasn't worried about exams, but something else entirely.

Ann and her decided to walk together at the subway after her blonde friend couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching her.

The two kept their eyes open together but no dice.

They never saw anyone staring at them.

Soon, Akira too felt the eyes on her.

When she'd wait for Ann, she could swear someone was watching.

It was weird, but exams and Ann were her primary focus at the moment.

She could deal with her own stalker later on.

She smiled as Ann approached her and Ryuji. Both the blondes were tired, as it was the last day of exams. Ann studied all night while Ryuji goofed off.

Akira laughed as Morgana started a fight with Ryuji. She shook her head at them. Turning to Ann, the two talked to share last minute notes when Ann suddenly stiffened.

"Am I imagining things...?" She mumbled.

Akira opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when she felt it too.

She looked around, catching Ryuji's and Morgana's attention.

"You two ok? What's wrong?" He asked.

Ann shook her head.

"No, that's not it..."

Akira's grip on her bag tightened, but she said nothing.

 _I saw him... He's watching us..._

The group crowded into the train.

As did their follower.

The entire train ride, she was on edge. Perhaps Ann was too, but she didn't ask.

Who was this guy and why was he stalking them?

 _Was he a groper or something?_

The very thought sent chills down her spine.

Ryuji watched Akira tremble softly besides him. She was probably thinking the worst case scenario. She still hadn't gotten over the scare Kamoshida gave her, not that he could blame her. Sometimes he too would wake up from a haunting Kamoshida related nightmare. His hand went to reach out and comfort her, but the memories of the cafe made him pause.

His heart started hammering again and his hand dropped to his side.

The train finally stopped.

The three stepped off and followed the crowds to the escalator.

He did as well.

This didn't go unnoticed by Ann.

"Oh my god! He got off too!"

Akira turned and her eyes swept over the crowd, panic filling her.

Ryuji stared at the two, unsure of what to say for moment.

"Hey! At least pretend you care!" Ann snapped at him.

That brought him out of his stupor.

"I do care!' He said, stifling back a yawn.

Ann slapped his shoulder in annoyance. Akira chuckled at their antics, relaxing a bit, which in turn made Ryuji feel better.

"Come on." He said, walking ahead.

The two girls followed after him.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

He sighed as he reached the top of the escalator.

 _That blonde and the dark haired girl... Did they both head that way?_

He turned and hurriedly made his way out of the station.

He couldn't afford to let them get away this time.

Jogging up the stairs, he gasped a bit for breath. This was the most exercise he'd done in a while.

He stopped when he saw the blonde. She stood only a few paces away from him.

 _Where did the other one go?_

It didn't matter right now.

He could do with just one.

He moved forward, reaching out to his hand...

Only to be blocked by a blonde male. He stopped and stared blankly at this new person. He tilted his head in confusion as the new blonde looked him over.

Before he could speak, the two blondes almost instantly began bickering.

"Is there something you want?" He asked, interrupting the fight.

"That's my line!" The girl yelled.

Before he could respond, he was smacked in the back of the head. Hard.

Over and over.

Quickly, he tried shielding himself from her assailant.

"Akira stop!"

"You screamed!"

"Not for that reason!"

"You said and I quote 'If I scream, attack'."

 _What is happening?_

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Akira stood sheepishly after beating the stranger with her schoolbag.

"Sorry. I had assumed the worst..." She mumbled.

"Why did you attack me?" The blue haired man asked.

"Because you've been stalking us!" Ann yelled.

The man blinked.

"Stalking you? That's outrageous."

Ann pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I know you've been following Akira and I! Ever since the train!"

"That's because-"

 **HONK! HONK! HONK!**

The four turned as a black vehicle approached the curb besides them. The back window rolled down, revealing an elderly man with a gentle smile.

"My goodness, I had wondered why you left the car."

He glanced at the group.

"So this is where your passion led. All that's well ends well." He said, laughing a bit.

The young man suddenly spoke up.

"I saw you... from the car. I couldn't help myself from chasing after you. I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei... But thank goodness, I caught up to you."

Ann and Akira looked at him, still clearly confused.

"Ok..." Ann said.

"What?" Ryuji said, scratching his head.

He wasn't following this conversation in the slightest.

"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time! Please, won't you-"

"W-Wait a minute-" Ann started.

"Woman? Then why were you watching me too?" Akira pressed.

"-Be the model for my next art piece!?"

The three stared at him in confusion.

"Model?" Ann asked.

"All that I've drawn til now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else."

Morgana didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"This man's highly suspicious!"

His complaint fell on deaf's ears.

The man then turns to Akira.

"That's when I saw you too. You have this... this intense emotion eminating from you. I can't help but feel drawn to both of you."

Akira unconsciously blushed, looking away slightly.

Now Ryuji didn't like how this was going. He stepped up to the man.

"What kind of shady business are you recruiting for?!"

The man ignores him. Instead, he focuses back on the ladies, moving closer to them.

"Will you two cooperate with me? What do you say?"

Again, Ryuji steps up, blocking the man from the girls.

"Hold your horses! Who're you anyways?"

He steps back and composes himself.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm a second-year at Kosei High's fine-arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa."

He then pushes past as he continues, much to Ryuji's annoyance.

"I'm Madarame-sensei's pupil, and I am being allowed residence at his place. I'm striving to become an artist."

"Huh!? Do you mean THAT Madarame? The one who was on "Good Morning Japan" the other day?" Ann exclaimed.

"Wow really...?" Akira said, slightly awestruck.

Both were surprised when he said yes. This boy, Yusuke, was seriously training under the famous Madarame.

Ryuji had no idea who they were talking about.

Madarame came onto the art scene with his Japanese style. He became quite famous and was soon recognized all over the world for his changing style.

"But didn't we hear that name in Mementos?" Morgana whispered.

Now that he mentioned it, they all recalled one of the people who's heart they had changed had mentioned his name.

"Yusuke!"

The group turned to the man, presumably Madarame, in the car. Akira had forgotten he was there.

"I'm sorry, Sensei. I'll be right there!" Yusuke said.

Ryuji squinted at the elderly man.

"That's Madarame...? That old guy?" He mumbled.

Yusuke ignored Ryuji again, focusing on Ann and Akira.

"Madarame-sensei's exhibition will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow. I'll be there to help out on opening day. Please come by."

He takes Ann's hand then Akira's.

He stared deeply into Akira's eyes.

"It'd be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then..."

He places the tickets in her hands. He takes his eyes off Akira, giving Ryuji a hard look.

"I bet you have no interest in the fine arts, but I'll give you tickets too."

Sparks fly between the two males, which goes unnoticed by Ann and Akira.

Finally, Yusuke releases Akira's hands.

"Well then, I hope to see you there tomorrow!"

He waves goodbye and enters the car with Madarame. The remaining three stand and watch the vehicle disappear down the road.

Akira, Ann, and Morgana immediately begin discussing what just happened. Ryuji couldn't comment. He wasn't even listening.

He was fucking pissed.

All he could see was red.

That damn condescending look he gave Ryuji.

How long he was holding her hand.

How deeply he stared into her dark gray eyes.

 **How her face turned red when he spoke to her!**

This Yusuke character obviously was up to no good!

"You're not planning on going, are you?" Morgana asked.

"I think I will..." Ann said.

"Yeah same." Akira agreed.

Ryuji's eyes bulged.

"What!? Why!?" He yelled.

"Crap! Look at the time! I'll see you later." Ann said as she took off running.

Morgana began sulking, sinking into the abyss of Akira's bag.

"Poor Morgana... He's losing the battle." She chuckled.

She expected Ryuji to laugh or take a jab at the sad cat. She didn't expect him to stare at her in dead silence.

"Um... Ryuji?"

 _The way Yusuke looked at her..._

"Ryuji, could you stop staring. It's embarrassing..."

Ryuji sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry. Let's get goin'..."

Without another word, Ryuji dejectedly starting walking. Akira followed after him, a bit concerned.

"Ryuji? Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine... Just exhausted with how today's goin'."

She grabbed his shoulder, making him face her.

"Come on. Sure, Yusuke was a bit weird. At least he wasn't some pervert or something."

"True. But if he was that can of weird I wouldn't let him anywhere near you." He frowned.

"Aww~" She cooed in a teasing manner.

"And Ann!" He quickly added.

She chuckled at him.

"Geez, you seem all innocent and cute, but you've got a serious sadistic side." He sighed.

"I do not!"

"Sureeeeeee... Rightttttt..."

"Ryuji!"

She swatted his shoulder as his face broke out a grin.

The two eventually started chating and made their way side by side towards Shujin.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Sae stared at her from across the table.

"You became acquainted with Madarame's pupil by chance?"

Akira nodded.

"That's a little too convient. It makes me wonder if you're even telling the truth."

Akira sighed at her skepticism, but kept quiet.

"So be it. What I want to know most is your method." Sae said.

She gave the older woman a confused look. She didn't understand what she meant.

"It's true that Madarame was an unforgivable criminal worthy of the scorn thrown at him. He was an adult who cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihood of children. But how?"

"How what?" Akira asked.

"How did you discover such horrible deeds that were hidden all these years in such a short time?"

 _She's not going to believe me..._

"The Metaverse."

"This "Metaverse" business again?" She scoffed.

 _Knew it._

Sae sighed and looked Akira over.

"... Fine. Let's suppose that people's hearts can be changed by stealing their Treasure, like you've said."

Akira raised her brow.

"If so, a different suspicion arises."

Sae crosses her arms as she goes on.

"People have gone made or lost consciousness, never to recover... like the subway accident in April. Depending on how you look at it, that could be taken as a phenomenon for a sudden change of heart too. Were you related to those as well?"

"... I don't want to say."

Sae gives her a scrutinizing look.

"...I see."

She glances at her watch. She didn't have much time left.

"Continue telling me about Madarame's case. Keep it concise and only of truth."

Akira nodded and continued.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

Last day of exams and Ryuji knew he was one hundred percent fucked.

Well, he knew that from day one...

But he couldn't even focus enough to properly do eeny meeny miny moe to guess.

He kept thinking back to Yusuke and Akira from earlier that morning.

 _Her hand fit perfectly in his..._

 _Like a Prince holding his hand out to his Princess..._

He jabbed his forehead with an eraser.

 _THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT THIS!_

And yet that's all he could think about.

He could only see Yusuke holding a blushing Akira by the hands, rose petals dancing in the air around them.

He could so clearly hear Yusuke speaking to her.

 **You have this... this intense emotion eminating from you. I can't help but feel drawn to both of you.**

His grip on his pencil tightened.

He and Akira were only friends. He wasn't jealous.

He was worried for her safety. Yusuke wasn't good enough for her!

 _Yeah! That's it!_

The rest of exams droned on, but he was relieved it was finally over.

"Mmmmmm, it's over!" Ann sighed happily.

"Yeah... It's over..." He mumbled.

"I'm feeling confident, but I'm glad exams are done." Akira grinned.

Morgana popped out of her bag.

"I predict you did very well Akira. All your studying paid off." He said.

Ryuji groaned.

"Can we stop talkin' about the exams? Like it or not, they're gonna come back graded next week."

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling.

"What're you looking at?" Ann asked.

"The usual site, but it's no use. There ain't any useful info. The number of posts are gettin' less and less too..." He sighed.

"We can't let the Phantom Thieves be a one hit wonder." Morgana frowned.

"There's no point in getting antsy though." Ann said.

"Ann's right. We just have to be patient, that's all." Akira added.

"I know! Why don't we go eat lunch somewhere? We still have some money left over from the other day." Ann said, grinning.

"Sushi!" Ryuji and Morgana yelled simultaneously.

Akira giggled.

"I'm pretty sure we don't have that much money left." She said.

Ann nodded in agreement.

"We have the tickets to Madarame's exhibit. Let's go!"

"That's tomorrow." Akira replied.

"Oh right..."

Morgana sighed dejectedly.

"Was it love at first sight with that Yusuke guy...?"

Ryuji felt himself tense as he waited for Ann and Akira (mostly Akira) to respond.

"It's not like that. His artwork is just really nice. Plus, we got free tickets." Ann said.

"O-of course." Morgana stammered.

"Besides, this could also be related to what we heard in Mementos." She added.

"True. So, we're all going to see the exhibit together." Akira said, pushing her glasses up.

Morgana nodded eagerly, going off about fine arts building character. Ryuji wasn't really listening.

"Well, if everyone's going..." He mumbled.

"It's settled then!" Ann cheered.

"I can't wait." Akira grinned.

This exhibition made Ryuji wanna gag, but he couldn't be the only Phantom Thief not to go.

Especially if Yusuke would be there.

"Let's meet at the exhibit entrance tomorrow." Ann suggested.

They all agreed. They then went their separate ways.

Hours later, Ryuji sat on his bed, lost in thought. Exams had brought him down a bit. As did their chance encounter with painter boy.

Akira had never answered.

She never said she liked Yusuke...

 _But she didn't deny it either..._

Only Ann had.

"Dammit..."

 **BUZZ!**

He felt around for his phone. It was a text from their group chat.

 **Ann: So I keep thinking about what Nakanohara said...**

 **Akira: That guy from Mementos right?**

 **Ann: Yeah. Could he really have been talking about the famous artist Madarame?**

 **Akira: I think so. Who else could it be?**

 **Ryuji: I mean, have you guys ever heard of someone else called Madarame?**

 **Ann: True. It's not common at all.**

 **Akira: That means Yusuke-kun is training under a corrupt teacher.**

 **Ann: Kitagawa-kun's home life must be pretty terrible.**

Ryuji sighed, relaxing his grip on his phone.

If that was true, Yusuke was prolly being abused or something. The thought made Ryuji feel bad for him. As much as he didn't like Yusuke, he wasn't going to be an ass and ignore him if he needed help.

 **Ryuji: We gotta look into this.**

The girls chimed in agreement. Throwing himself onto his bed, he scrolled through the Phan-site again.

Still pretty bare in posts.

He groaned and glanced at the ticket Akira had given him.

 _Which was given to her by **him**._

He rolled over and turned off his lamp.

 _I'm overthinking things. There's nothing going on._

He repeated this in his mind til he drifted off to sleep.

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

The exhibit was very crowded when they arrived.

Beautiful works of art decorated the walls around them, adding a splash of color and uniqueness to the pale walls.

"Morgana, stay in the bag. It'd be bad if someone discovered you." Akira warned.

Heeding her warning, the cat dove back into her bag.

They didn't see Yusuke so they went about the exhibit, oohing and aahing at the various works of art.

Well Akira and Ann did. This wasn't really Ryuji's scene.

Before he knew it, he was alone.

The girls had wandered off without him.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

He was really out of place here.

He walked around, glancing at each painting he passed. The blonde stopped when he noticed a crowd around a certain old man.

 _Madarame!_

He was surrounded by press. A woman held a microphone out to him.

"We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination. You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that it all stems from one person. Where in the world does all your inspiration come from?" She asked.

"Well... It's rather difficult to put into words..." Madarame began.

He turned and smiled at the woman.

"They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in a spring."

"Naturally, you say?" The reporter pressed.

"What's important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame. My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."

Ryuji frowned as he eavesdropped.

 _He lives... in a shack?_

"I see... So the act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty."

The reporter and Madarame continued talking, but Ryuji was too busy focusing.

 _Shack..._

Suddenly, he felt someone push against him.

Followed by another.

Then a few hundred others.

"Hey! Stop pushin'!" He yelled.

He struggled to stay, but was eventually swept away.

"There's too many people!" He muttered.

"Help!"

 _Morgana?!_

"I'm being crushed!"

Following the sound of the pleading cat, he found Akira's bag on the ground nearby.

"Morgana, what happened? Where's Akira?"

Akira wouldn't just leave her bag unattended with Morgana inside.

"She said she had to use the restroom and left me on a bench near the door. But then all these people started coming out of nowhere and knocked me around." He moaned.

He picked up the bag and looked around.

He didn't see a bathroom door anywhere.

"Come on, she'll be outta the bathroom soon. Let's walk around."

Morgana nodded and dove back into the bag. They made their way around the exhibit with no sign of Ann or Akira.

Suddenly, a dark braid moved in the corner of his eye.

 _Akira...?_

He turned and scanned the room.

"There! I see her." He said.

Ryuji pushed through the crowd, making his way closer and closer.

"Akir-!"

His words died in his mouth.

He stopped dead in his tracks and stared straight at her.

She wasn't facing him.

No, she was facing **him**.

Yusuke...

They stood together in front of a painting, talking leisurely.

"Lady Ann..."

He could hear the sadness in the cat's voice. Both girls stood besides the artist in training. Yusuke had both of them.

They all looked like they were enjoying themselves.

His head sank and he turned away.

"Come on, let's head to the exit..." He mumbled.

He didn't hear Morgana respond, but he didn't voice any complaints. The crowd pushed against his shoulders, but he simply let them brush past him. He felt a jab to his back and an elbow to his gut, but he ignored it.

Nothing could hurt more than the stabbing pain in his chest...

 **Yay. Chapter done. I hope you enjoyed. I decided to make this one more Ryuji-centric as before he was the only male human in the group. Meaning he had all the attention from the ladies. The introduction of Yusuke is really stirring up his feelings. But Ryuji's an idiot so he has no idea what those feelings are yet, of course.** **I hope you guys liked Ryuji's perspective.**

 **Also big shout out to the people in the reviews who said 2 weeks passed. I would say your names but you're both Guests. Either way, you guys are real ones for calling me out.**

 **As usual, onto comments and questions.**

 **Specifically to** **DreamingCakeCats I do plan on having Akira have a sister-like bond with Futaba. Futaba was always like a sibling to me in game so I'd love to incorporate that.**

 _Has your mom gotten better?_

 **Yes she has! Thanks for all the good health wishes for by the way. She's finally able to walk and go about her normal day again.**

 _Excited for E3?_

 **I was, it's come and gone by now. I only really watch Square enix and Nintendo but I keep my eyes out. Final Fantasy seven remake looks amazing. Oninaki, Fire emblem 3 houses, breath of the wild sequel, pokemon, astral chain... so many good games. My wallet is going to be dead by the end of this year...**

 _What are your overall thoughts on P5 Royale?_

 **I love it. The trailer song "Colors Flying High" is amazing. There's an amazing cover by Jenny that sounds great. Also it has a ton of cool features and amazing looking new characters. Also new girl's Persona is Cendrillion. Literally Cinderella. That's cool.**

 _Do you have any new Persona stories ideas? How do you come up with stories?_

 **I'll answer the 2nd question first. I come up with stuff based on my dreams, events that happen in real life, or images I've seen. For example, this story was inspired by a fanart of what Akira would look like as a female. The gears started turning from there. As for new stories, I've thought about making a female version of Persona 4, Yu becomes Yue. I've also thought of a mafia/yakuza version of P5 but Akira is female again. She's caught the eye of the Boss *cough cough* Ryuji *cough cough* and he wants her but she doesn't trust him. But yeah, those might come in the future. I started a draft for both but I'm not sure if I want to start it yet. If you guys are interested in that, I'll definitely try to speed it up.**

 **That's all for now. Hope you all have a nice day!**


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